The Princess of the Sun
by Takafan
Summary: Since childhood Katniss has lived as a captive by the Incas. But when the dying emperor summons her, she is granted a destiny, not death. Katniss' new role as guardian of the emperor's Sacred-Double plunges her into the intrigues of Incan politics, the complexities of war...and the love of a handsome Spanish noble man, Peeta Mellark. Note this story is a remake of the Incas-series.
1. Chapter 1 - The Girl from the Rainforest

The Princess of the Sun

Summary:

_Since childhood Katniss has lived as a captive by the Incas, waiting to learn how and when she will be offered as a sacrifice. But when the dying emperor summons her, she is granted a destiny, not death. Her eyes, as silver as the Moon, are a powerful sign that she was sent by Quilla, the Moon Goddess, to ensure the emperor's passage to the Other World - and she is entrusted with the emperor's last words: The secrets of the past and the future of the Incan empire. Katniss' new role as guardian of the emperor's Sacred-Double plunges her into the intrigues of Incan politics, the complexities of war...and the passions of a handsome Spanish nobleman, Peeta Mellark._

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Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. It belongs to the great Suzanne Collins. I do not own the Incas-series either as well. Antoine B. Daniel does.

This story is sadly not a product of my own imagination but belongs to the amazing Antoine B. Daniel (Antoine Audouard, Bertrand Houette and Jean-Daniel Baltassat), which I have altered into a remake of the "Incas"-series. This means that Katniss, Peeta, Gale and other characters are more or less OOC, and a few characters have even switched gender. Most of the story is taken directly from the books, but I have rewritten some parts of it myself so the story will be more fitting. Also you should now that English is not my native language, so I apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes you may find. If you haven't read the "Incas"-series yet, you simply have to go to the bookstore right away…. or you can read this version of the story with the cast of the Hunger Games. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1 – In the neighbourhood of Pocona, December 1526**

At the crack of dawn a young girl awakes to the sound of the chirping of birds. With a small cry of happiness she jumps out of her hammock and hurry to the door of the hut which houses most of the population of the village that is located deep within the heart of the rainforest. The tiny village belonging to the _Chiriguanos,_ is surrounded by a tall wooden wall, which shelters the village and its inmates from enemies – man as well as beast. The courtyard is completely empty in this early hour save many small rain ponds on the ground… the only evidence left of the great thunderstorm and massive rain that came in the night which brought terror into the young girl's heart. But now the dangers of the previous night has vanished and given way to the sunrays that shin through the trees and bathing the village in an almost magical light.

Katniss makes her way through the courtyard to the gate - the only way in and out of the village – where the young warrior, Darius, guards the gate. As every other man in the village he wears a loincloth around the lower part of the body as the only piece of clothing. His chin and cheeks are painted with green and black colours but the rest of his skin is as light as the muddy ground in the village, but is in contrast to the bright pearls in his long turquoise necklace over his chest. He is half asleep but wakes to the sound of Katniss' running footsteps. With a startling cry he points his spear towards Katniss and then burst out laughing. "Well, well…if it isn't the little mosquito. What are you doing here in this early hour?" he asks."I want to help you protect the village!" answers Katniss quite seriously. The warrior stops laughing and shakes his head from side to side. "Great idea! If the Inca soldiers know you are here with me they would never dare to attack us!". "Exactly… so, will you let me out?" she asks. The guard burst out laughing once more and gives her a small tap on her head. "Sure. Just run along little mosquito. But remember not to stray or else your mother will dip my head in that witches' cauldron of hers." he jokes while he loosens the liana to the wood piece that keeps the gate locked.

Katniss runs past the gate and into the thick rainforest. She is not afraid of the thorns that scratch her clothes, nor the animals that lure in the shadows. She makes it to an opening, her bare feet running between the beautiful flowers. When she arrives at the big pond she jumps into the pond with such glee and happiness that can only be seen in children. For a long time she swims around the pond pretending to be a fish, a fish that could spend the entire day circling in the cool water. She sees a branch above the surface and climbs onto it, just as if she had been an athletic monkey. She studies her own reflection in the water. It shows a girl, who is quite tall for a 10-year old. She is defiantly taller and more light-skinned compared to the other girls in the village. Her forehead is flatter; her chin is almost pointy which makes her face look longer. And what she hates the most is the nose that is too long and too sharp compared to the noses of the small _Chiriguano_-girls. Even her mouth is different, smaller, but not plump. But the greatest difference is her eyes. She closes her eyes and splashes in the water with one of her feet so her reflection becomes a blur. Why does she look like this? There are many rumours in the village about her, but her mother will not speak with her about her appearance. Her mother… Suddenly she feels the need to see her, to touch her. The feeling is so strong that she aches to be beside her mother. Laughing she shouts out for her mother, a shout that is reflected as an echo by the thick leaves. She runs towards the village as fast as her legs can carry her while her heart is filled with love towards her mother.

When Katniss reaches the village the sun has come out in its full glory and Katniss feels the urge to dance in the warm sunlight as if she is welcoming its presents. "Katniss…" her mother calls. Katniss follows her mother's voice and sees her standing in the doorway of the sleeping-hut. She wears a dress that reaches her knees. The colours have almost faded away but you can still see the motive of squares, crosses and finely woven rhombus on the white fabric. Here and there it has been mended with string, but it must have been very beautiful when it was new. It must be very special since no other woman in the village owns such a dress. "It is the sun! Come mother, come and dance with me" Katniss runs to her mother and catches her mother's hands while she tries to pull her mother along. Her mother laughs, resists for a moment, but then lets herself to be dragged into the sunlight to dance with her daughter. The muds splashes among their feet while the scream out of pure happiness. Her mother holds Katniss by the arm, then lifts her up and clasps her in her arms. "Come on Mom, one more time" Katniss mumbles into her mother's neck. Her mother gazes into the girls glittering eyes. "You haven't forgotten our promise, have you?" she whispers. Katniss scowls. No, she hasn't forgotten it. Not at all, since what they have promised is not a fun task and she answers "Do we really have to help that old witch?". "Katniss! Ripper is not an old witch. She is the grandmother of the spirits." her mother answers. "So what? I don't like her!" Her mother smiles and lowers Katniss onto the ground.

Hand in hand they walk towards one of the big houses in the centre of the village. At one of the corners of one of the houses there is a small fire. By the fire stands an old woman dressed in a long dirty brown dress. She stirs in a cauldron, which contains a green thick liquid. It smells awful and Katniss cannot help to scowl once again. "I brought the fabric you requested, dear grandmother of the spirits." Katniss mother says. The witch examines the square fabric with a sceptical eye. The fabric is so worn out that it is possible to see through it and the pink embroidery has faded. "Hmm… it will do" the witch mutters. Katniss is standing on tiptoes so she can look at the liquid inside the cauldron. "How do you know that there is a spirit in there?" she asks the old woman. "Because I put it in there myself, foolish girl." Ripper answers. "I am not a foolish girl! I just don't see it." Katniss retorts. "Shush Katniss" her mother bids her in a firm tone. But Katniss does not give up that easily "But why can't I see it when you can?" she asks stubbornly. "Because I have the gift of sight as you are well aware of… And do as your mother tells you to and keep quiet!". Katniss sighs while she and her mother place the fabric over the mouth of a jar. The old woman tilts the cauldron so the liquor runs slowly through the fabric into the jar, while a green slimy layer sticks onto the fabric. It smells strongly of the plants that can only be found deep into the dark rainforest where the sun has never shined. Katniss is waiting in silence. Waiting for the spirit to come out, but the only thing she can hear are the drops from the liquid that fall into the jar. She wants to ask another question but she does not want to meet the witch's mean eyes again.

Suddenly she gets the feeling of a sudden coldness over her sunburned shoulders. She raises her gaze to the sky to find the shadow that caused the coldness. That is the moment when she lets go of one of the corners of the fabric so the green slimy layer falls into the jar along with the liquid. The old woman screams out in terror. "Katniss! What are you doing" her mother exclaims shockingly. "Mom! The bird!" The bird is huge. Its wingspan is as large as a house and you can hear the air hissing through its black, shining feathers. It flies near the ground, so near that you would think the bird would land right in the centre of the village. But then it turns and stretches its impressive but terrible beak up towards the sky once more. "Mom, look how beautiful it is!" Katniss exclaims. The children in the courtyard have stopped playing and the adults stand as if petrified with worry plastered across their faces. Even the elderly of village come into the courtyard to watch the magnificent bird. The bird turns in the air once more and catches Katniss' gaze. "A mockingjay…" her mother stutter while her grip around Katniss' hand tightens. The witch adds "The messenger of the Incas". Katniss clings to her mother who mutters, "The mockingjay… but the mockingjay does not belong in this area. It never comes down from the mountains to the rainforest". Katniss begins to feel anxious and looks at her mother's face, which has turned pale and the mouth set in a tight line. "Mom, what is the matter?" Nothing and no one moves in the courtyard. Not a sound can be heard, not even the sound of breathing… even the rainforest is quit. Then the sound of a horn breaks the silence.

"The Incas! The Incas!" Darius is running like a madman across the courtyard while screaming of the top of his lungs. "The Incas! They are here!" The cry has just escaped his lips when he collapses on the ground. During his fall the thread in the turquoise necklace breaks and the small blue stones roll in the dust before being buried under the mud. A thin black line of blood runs down his temple where it blends with the facial paint, a result of the stone from a sling that is buried deep within his skull. Katniss senses the shiver that runs through her mother. The horn, resembling the roar of a wild animal, sounds through the air one more time, and then the air is filled with screams. The whole village is in an uproar. Some men rush to the houses to collect their weapons, other men are already running towards the wall with bows and arrows in their hands. Women and children run towards shelter. The tumult is unbearable. Katniss presses her cheek to her mother's stomach and feels her mother stroke the top of her hair, her cheeks and hands in a feverish way as a reassurance that everything will be all right. All of the _Chiriguano_-warriors are now in position at the wall.

Suddenly the air starts hissing. Katniss looks up and the air is filled with black lines. It is like a big black shadow that moves towards the village and then it is here. Hundreds of arrows strike their targets. "Mom!" Katniss wails once more. Her mother is already bending over Katniss so her upper body is shielding Katniss from harm. They close their eyes to the sound of the arrowheads burring themselves into the mud and the flesh of the warriors. Blood blend with water, screams can be heard everywhere and even the wounded men cries like children. The village is now enveloped in a cape of fear and death. Katniss' mother hums to comfort her daughter. But Katniss does not listen. When she opens her eyes again she sees no more flying lines but instead arrows with varicoloured feathers sprinkle across the courtyard. The varicoloured feathers that stick out of the backs of the fallen men look like flowers someone could have planted by the use of magic.

"Come" her mother whispers. With a gentle pull of her hand they start crossing the courtyard. But just as they have reached the centre the gate give in and men with helmets passes through the gate. The stones from slings hisses in the air, the leather of the _ayllu_'s sings along. The number and weapons of the enemy overpowers the remaining _Chiriguano_-warriors. "Hurry, hurry!" her mother yells. They run forward as fast as they can without looking back. The stones from the slings pass them. An old man with black teeth points at something behind them but then a stone crushes into his abdomen and he falls. "Faster Katniss…" Katniss feels an impact in her hand. The vibration runs through her arm. Suddenly her hand is free and she tumbles forward towards the ground along side her mother. Katniss rises immediately. "Mom, get up!". Her mother doesn't move. Katniss does not look at her mother's face but take a hold of her mother's hand instead. She tries to drag her mother's body along, but it does not move in the mud. "Mom. Hurry… they are coming!" Katniss senses the soldiers in their colourful kirtles approaching them. The sound of laughter from the victorious soldiers blends with the miserable cries of the _Chiriguanos_.Then Katniss dares to look upon her mother's face. A blood-red rose is blossoming at her mother's temple. Her eyes are closed and a small dark liquid runs from the corner of her mouth.

And Katniss knows... She looks down at the soaked fabric in her mother's hand – the fabric in which the spirit was hiding. She takes the fabric from her mother's hand and squeezes it in her own hand. Katniss does not hear the shouts of victory, the screaming people dying or a wailing baby that has been left behind in one of the sleeping houses. She does not see the warriors from her village fall nor does she see the flames that consume the houses and the wall. In her heart there is only silence, as if every door to her heart is closing – one after another. It is in that moment Katniss kneels beside her mother and press close against her mother's stomach as if they were both sleeping. For Katniss, life is no more and there is no more warm left in the sun. This is how the soldier finds her. When he tries to bring her along she protest with every force left in her body although no sound escapes her lips. He has to force the grip of her fingers to loose their anchor in order to tear Katniss away from her mother's lifeless body. When he finally succeeds in tearing them apart he needs to drag her across the dust and the mud as if her body had lost the will to live.

The Inca officer holds a _chuqui_ in his right hand, a spear were the point of the spear is made of bronze and the shaft is made of hard wood decorated with the feathers of a mockingjay. A leather cuirass protects his chest. He still wears his finely woven helmet decorated with a red and yellow plume. The distinctive smell of smoke fills the air. Katniss keeps her gaze locked on the ground while she still clutches the fabric but she can still see the Inca's long and lean figure dimly. "Did we finally wipe out those damn _Chiriguanos_?" the Inca officer asks the soldier who brought Katniss along. "Yes, Captain Boggs. But a few of them managed to escape into the rainforest." the soldier responds. "Very well." The Inca captain turns to Katniss to look at the little girl covered in mud. "And who is she?" he asks. "I don't know, Captain Boggs. I found her lying next to a dead woman. I brought her to you because…" "Look at me, girl" the Inca officer interrupts. Katniss does not move, only her fingers clutch the fabric tighter. The soldier is about to grasp her, but Boggs stops him with a short command. "Look at me, little girl" he says in an unexpected kind voice. But still, Katniss does not move. He passes his spear and his helmet to the soldier before he walks closer to her with slow steps. He kneels in front of her and Katniss feels his fingers under her chin. He tilts her face up and gaze straight into a pair of radiant silver-coloured eyes. He is taken by surprise and he almost tumbles backwards. Katniss sees the face of a man with a proud look and neatly marked lips.

She sees his disbelief…and she sees his fear.

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Dictionary:

Pocona = Bolvia

Ayllu = A throwing device. When used it twists around the legs of the target.

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So, as you may have noticed Mrs. Everdeen does not look like the way she does in the books, but more the way that Mr. Everdeen would have looked. I imagine that all the Incas would look a bit like the people from the Seam. Katniss gets to keep her eye-colour (which she inherited from her father) since it will be important to the story, but as far as her appearance go she will stand out from the other Incas. This also means that when for example Gale enters this story he will have the same brown eye-colour as the rest of the Incas. Also I am wondering if I can find Prim a spot in this story as well since I really do like her character. But I am not sure I will succeed in this quest.

So that was the first chapter, a nice long one as well. I hope you liked it… and once again I would like to apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes I may have made since I do not own the English copy of the Incas-series.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Emperor

**Quito, October 1527**

Katniss wakes up in the early morning, her whole body trembling with fear from the nightmare she just managed to escape by forcing her eyes open. She had been dreaming about that dreadful day almost one year ago. About the day she lost her mother, her people and the life she knew. She takes in her surroundings to reassure her that she is not in the burning village located deep within the rainforest. Instead she finds herself on a sleeping mat in the large dormitory. The sunrays enter through the small windows in the top of the room and lights the room in a golden glow. The red walls with the many motives and figures look back at her.

Katniss sighs. She is still here… but her mother and the few friends she had in the village are not. She knows she should be thanking the gods that they saved her from her death the day her village was attacked. Thankfully she is still breathing, she is still alive and well…for the moment. It is not that she desires death, but she is no fool. She knows that it must be a result of sheer luck that she is still here, and who knows when luck chooses to turn its back on her.

Most of the other girls have already left their sleeping mats to attend to their daily chores and lessons, but some are still present. One of the remaining girls is approaching Katniss with a small, but mischievous smile plastered on her face while she studies Katniss' features. The young girl has tall cheekbones and dark brown eyes. She possesses the characteristic look of the Inca princesses from Cuzco. Her name is Glimmer. She is older than Katniss, which means that her body already has transformed into the body of a woman - and she likes to show it to the world. But first and foremost, Glimmer is the daughter of Emperor Brutus, Unifier of the Four Cardinal Directions, the man who expanded the Inca Empire to cover thousands of miles from north to south and the greatest of all the Incas through time. How many children does he have? Just as many children as the number of gold and silver-plates in his temples – 200 or even 300 children. No one knows the accurate number! As soon as their eyes meet, Glimmer's mischievous smile turns into a wicked smile. "Katniss… Why are you so ugly?... Such an ill-favoured look" Glimmer chuckles.

Since the day of Katniss' arrival to the Temple of the Sun Virgins, known as _the akklawasi_, in Quito, the magnificent royal city in the North, Glimmer has done nothing but to seek her out, even though no kind words towards Katniss had crossed her lips. The _akklawasi_ housed some of the most beautiful and unblemished girls in the land. The girls had been selected at the age of 8-10 years and taken from their families in order to become one of "the chosen women". Here they learned religious rites and ceremonies as well as womanly duties such as the art of weaving. The _akklawasi_ served as a provider of beautiful women as concubines to the noble men and great warriors, servants of Inti, the Sun God, holy sacrifices or as regular servants to noble families. Katniss knows that with a face and a family history like hers she would never be chosen to become a concubine or a servant of Inti. That left only two options for her.

"Katniss, I know what will happen to you today." Glimmer mocks her. Katniss stretches her body and try to pretend not to care for the words Glimmer had just spoken. But Glimmer just plays with the bracelets around her wrist. "Don't you like to know?" she asks in a singsong voice. "Yes, of course." Katniss answers. "I will tell you in a while".

This is how Glimmer works and Katniss has to stifle a fit of rage. But even though the young Inca princess can see that Katniss is trying to restrain herself from giving a nasty counter reply, she keeps trying to see if she can make Katniss loose it completely. "Alright, daughter of an unknown man, tell me why you are so ugly?" This time Katniss draws herself up with a sudden movement and shoves Glimmer away from her. "I don't know. There are so many things I don't know! But you should know since you apparently know everything!" Katniss answers back in a stiff voice. Glimmer's laughter fills the room. "Oh, you poor girl! Even though you have been here for nearly four seasons you will still not admit that you will never become one of us."

Katniss turns away from Glimmer in order to fold her blanket neatly while trying to conceal her pain. Yes, if there is one thing she knows, it is this. Not only is she not a princess by blood, but as time goes by her body grows in a way that separates her further from the other young Inca girls. Her legs and thighs become longer, while the princesses' thighs become rounder. Her face stretches instead of becoming wider. Her forehead does not turn round but flat, her lips are still too neatly marked and her eyebrows are only half as sturdy as they ought to be. And then there are her eyes! The eye-shape is almost as almond-formed as they should be, but they are silver, not dark brown. They are as silver as the shining moon in the pitch-dark night. The silver-coloured eyes that call forth disgust, fear and sometime mockery. So horribly silver that it is impossible to form any kind of friendship or warmth. During the year that she has spent in the _akklawasi_ she has not had a single friend. Not even the matrons wish to talk to her if not necessary. No other person than Glimmer defies this dislike towards her, as if she suffered from a horrible disease. But Glimmer only comes near her in order to gloat and make fun of her.

As the tears are beginning to form in her eyes Katniss clutches the blanket to her chest, just as she had done with the fabric when she was taken from her village, while she tries to stay calm. "If I am this ugly, why do you keep seeking me out?" she asks. The young princess smiles "Because you are funny to look at." she answers. "Well, you have had your fun. You have had time enough to look at me, don't you think? It has to stop." Katniss tells her. "Yes, that is true." Glimmer laughs.

Katniss walks toward the courtyard, but as she reaches the door Glimmer plays with her bracelets once more and adds in a voice as sweet as honey. "Katniss – I have been ordered to tell you what will happen to you today." "You should not tell me anything. I don't care." Katniss calls from the door but Glimmer ignores her. "As I was saying. Today is your big day. The Emperor, my father, the great Brutus will look upon you..." Katniss stiffens and her breath catches in her throat. For many moons she has known that this day would come. But today… She turns around slowly to face Glimmer once again and meets her gaze. Silver eyes filled with fear stares into deep brown eyes filled with glee. "…and he will tell you, you daughter of no man we know, how you are going to die."

The House of the Sun Virgins is filled with whispers. While the matrons washes, combs and braids Katniss' hair in very small and elegant braids they throw her a mean look. Katniss keeps chanting to herself that she must stay strong. These women, the guards, and the Emperor... no one must see her fear. If she is going to die, she will die with dignity and with her head held high. She will not let them see her weakness. She will die fighting in her own way, no matter how small it may be.

Katniss repeats Glimmer's cruel words to herself and the fear starts to fill her up completely. What if the Emperor decides that she should die without the possibility to escape into the Other World? Will she be eaten by the puma?

When her hair is done, the matrons wrap her in a large piece of fabric made out of raw linen that covers her from her chest to her ankles. Around her waist she wears a red sash, which lacks motives. Then the matrons place a _lliclla_, a long purple mantle with a white collar, around her shoulders and fasten it over her chest with a needle crafted of cedar tree. Finally they hand her a brand new pair of straw sandals. The matrons take a step back to look upon their work, but it is clear to see, that the new clothes and hairstyle have not attained the purpose to make her a prettier sight. Afterwards, Katniss is left to wait by herself in a tiny, dark room until she is summoned.

The sun is high in the sky when they come for her. When one of the matrons enters the tiny room, Katniss feels the nauseous caused by her fear trying to make a reappearance. Two soldiers await her outside the _akklawasi_ in order to bring her into the sight of the Emperor. For many moons Katniss has not been outside the walls of the _akklawasi_. When the trio reaches the deserted grand courtyard they turn to the huge palace gate that is crowned by a stone carving of the Snake of Eternal Life. When they reach the gate, the soldiers knock their spears in the ground to gain attention, while Katniss fights to obtain control of her breathing.

She immediately recognizes the ceremonial-dressed officer that stands by the palace gate. She even remembers his name: Boggs. She will never forget his face – the face of the officer in command of the soldiers who killed her mother. Today he looks upon her without fear or surprise. He is handsome and awe-inspiring. A solid gold breastplate covers his chest and a headpiece of yellow wool with two large green feathers covers his head and emphasizes his facial features. Large silver orbs cover his ears and are kept in place by a silver tube in size of a finger, which pierce his stretched ear lobes. Every time he moves the huge ornaments quiver and the light is reflected in them.

With a slight hand gesture he orders Katniss to come closer. Just like the first time she met him she does not move which makes one of the guards poke her in the back with his spear. She steps across the threshold of the palace gate and follows Boggs who, with one look, forces her to stay by his side. The walk across a small courtyard surrounded by long, low buildings. The flagged pathway is surrounded with red and white flowers that grow in neatly square flowerbeds, but the flowers do not impress Katniss or help to stop her thoughts full of fear and despair.

She must admit, that deep within her heart she has a faint hope that her destiny would be to live as a servant, to escape the fate of being sacrificed to the Gods. But Glimmer's words are imprinted in her mind. _"…and he will tell you_,_ you daughter of no man we know, how you are going to die"_. Now the question about her future has been answered. There is no hope left for her. She would never see the sun rising in the east again… but, if the Emperor was merciful she would see her mother again in the Other World and she would escape this world filled with so much unkindness towards her. And that was a comforting thought. A thought that along side her determination to stay strong helped her feet keep moving forward towards her fate.

Boggs and Katniss keep walking through courtyard after courtyard, one more beautiful than the previous. Statues of gold and painted wood, painted walls, and running water fountains occupy the different courtyards. They must be close to the Emperor now, and then without a warning Boggs issues an order. "Kneel, girl! Grovel before your Emperor!"

Katniss kneels and bend her upper body forward, her palms pressed against the floor. She can dimly see the captain walking forward and across the doorstep. She follows in the best way she can in her position and scrapes her palms and knees against the sun-kissed flagstones. This is the way it has to be since she is now in the presence of the Son if the Sun, the Emperor.

She hears sounds and whispering words she do not understand. Suddenly she feels a stick hitting her shoulder. Her body stiffens at the contact. Then she hears Boggs' voice once more "My Emperor, this is the girl I have told you about." He does not receive an answer; only the sound of splashing water can be heard. At last, a tired and distant voice says, "I'm tired of bathing. Bring me my clothes."

Katniss can see the skirt hems belonging to at least a dozen of women. The fabrics of the dresses are very beautiful and have woven motives in dazzlingly colours. She knows what is happening in this moment. The girls in the _akklawasi_ have been told many times by the matrons. The handmaids pass the new clothes to the Emperor; clothes that have not been touch by anyone since it was woven. The handmaidens, who will dress him in the tunic made of lama-wool, tie his belt, cover his shoulders with the cape, and tie the royal headpiece around his forehead, has been hand-picked by the Son of the Sun himself.

Katniss closes her eyes and try to remember how to breathe. Her heart is pounding in her chest as if it is trying to betray her and show her fear to the world. "Captain Boggs, let the girl rise." The Emperor says. Katniss receives a hit across her back and Boggs mutters, "Rise before your Emperor." She asks herself is she has the strength to rise from her position. She rises slowly, as if she carries a burden three times her weight. When she is standing tall in front of the Emperor, she keeps her gaze locked on the ground, but the voice of the Emperor sounds once more, "Raise your eyes to mine, girl!" And then she sees him. Him, Emperor Brutus, the Inca above them all, the Son of the Sun and ruler of the unifier of the Four Cardinal Directions. He looks old; very, very old.

Despite the dazzling beauty of the attire, despite the golden bracelets around his wrists, despite the multi-coloured brilliant plumage around his neck and the huge gold-discs that dilate his earlobe, despite the jewellery consisting from mussel-pearls that drapes across his chest he looks like a fragile old man. The skin of the cheeks is distended. The deep furrows in the skin of the hands look as if they belong to another body. He rests on a raised couch stuffed with cushions and Katniss looks straight into his eyes. The Emperor looks at her without fear or astonishment.

A sharp and peremptory voice sounds from a place to the right of the Emperor, "My Emperor; look at the girl's eyes. No Inca woman has ever had the colour of silver in their eyes!". "Silence, Haymitch. Let me look upon her." the Emperor commands. Katniss has up to this point not seen the man who spoke but she sees him now. He too, wears the ear ornaments that are dedicated to the Incas of royal blood. The green juices from the coca leaves he is chewing can be seen between his lips.

Without turning his gaze from Katniss, Brutus asks, "Boggs, does she come from the rainforest?" "Yes my Emperor. We destroyed one of villages belonging to the wild _Chiriguanos_. We found her lying next to her mother…" Boggs answers, but is interrupted by the Emperor. "Where is her mother?" Boggs takes a deep breath before continuing. "She is dead, my Emperor. A stone from one of the slings hit her during the attack. We understood who was, since she was still wearing an Inca kirtle." "A woman from Cuzco?" the Emperor states "Without a doubt, my Emperor". "In other words, a bastard child with impure blood" Haymitch huffs. The Emperor ignores the comment but turns his gaze towards Haymitch. "And her father? Do we know anything about him?".

Haymitch makes a facial expression that clearly states completely indifference and he continues with a shrug of his shoulders indicating that no one knows. Brutus then turns to Boggs. "Do you have any piece of information?" Boggs remains silent and lowers his head. The Emperor returns his gaze filled with suffering to Katniss once again. His lips trembles and his fingers tighten their grip around the arms of his throne while small beams of sweat appears on his forehead right underneath the royal headband, which makes his forehead shine in the light. Despite the mortal dread Katniss feels at this sight, another feeling makes its way into her heart. She fears for him; she shares his fear.

The Emperor dodders for a moment, his eyelids quivers and with a hand pressed firmly against his abdomen he straightens his back once more. With a dull voice he asks, "Haymitch, which words do the soothsayers say about this girl?" The man with the green mouth huffs once more and with a gesture of his hand he says, "Most of them say that she brings misfortune wherever she goes. She has silver eyes and has, as you can see, an ill-favoured look. Her chest is lean and she is taller than our own girls! Yes, Inca blood may run in her veins because of her mother, but it is not pure! She is a product of the Underworld and she should return to the Underworld!".

With a deep sigh the Emperor exclaims tiredly "Yet another omen!". Then he is silent. Strangely, it occurs to Katniss, that the Emperor looks at her with a look of kindness. Haymitch reluctantly continues, "But not all the soothsayers are in agreement..." "What say the others?" the Emperor asks. "That she is a good omen for your reign. That she has been sent by Quilla, our Moon Goddess, and that her silver eyes are Quilla's promise that she is to guide you in your journey into the Higher World where you will take you place next to Inti and Quilla, the sun and the moon; your father and mother."

The Emperor's breathing quickens. Despite his efforts to hide his condition, Katniss understands. The Son of the Sun is dying. She can already see him on his deathbed. Soon, very soon he will proceed along the invisible path that will lead him to his father in the Other World. And with this recognition she has too control her tears that are beginning to form and prevent them from falling. The Emperor's gaze still has not left hers. He asks, "What is her name?" "Katniss".

Boggs has barely answered before the Emperor lets out a sound of misery while placing both of his hands over his abdomen. But just as before the Emperor regains control over his body and proceeds with an almost inaudible question, "And what about yourself, Haymitch. What is your opinion?". "She has to go! The sooner, the better. Perhaps as a sacrifice to the puma. That is my opinion. We should offer her to the puma, so that he is fed and she will never be a nuisance to you again – not in this world or the next. Our god, Inti, does not wish to see such a creature live." Haymitch answers with a steady voice. But the Emperor is still doubtful. "But what if she indeed _was_ sent to me by my mother, Quilla?" "If that is the case, then we could offer the Moon Goddess her heart." Haymitch replies.

The feel of despair has almost consumed Katniss and she fears that it will be almost impossible to stay true to her promise of standing tall. Her heart rate quickens, sweat begins to form and her feet screams at her brain to take control and run. But her brain does not give in. Running would not help her. Not at all. She would be caught before she even rose from her knees and she would have signed her own death sentence for sure. No, running was not an option; if only she could… But she never gets the chance to finish her internal discussion for suddenly the Emperor utters a hoarse cry. He bends forward and coughs up a black bile that lands on the edge of his throne. His pain is now so unbearable that he falls from his seat and lands on his knees. The men and woman who are present in the room, high lords as well as servants, are paralyzed with fear.

Katniss makes an involuntary gesture but immediately think better of it and stops the movements of her hands. The law allowed no one to touch the Emperor! Boggs has already placed a firm grip on her shoulders to get her away from the Emperor. But the Emperor, his features distorted by pain, looks at her and cries, "Help me! Girl, help me!" The old Emperor reaches towards her with his trembling hands. Open-mouthed a hoarse groan can be heard from him while his chest frantically rises and falls. "Help me!". In that moment death does not scare her any more. The tears that she has been holding back finally fall. She wants to help her Emperor, but she dares not.

* * *

Firstly I would like to thank Thynerdgurl for your review and for the people who chose to follow this story. It is lovely to see that I am not the only one with a liking towards this story.

And now three new characters has entered the story. Glimmer, Brutus and our very own and beloved Haymitch. I did have trouble finding the right character for the emperor since it should be someone who truly could have acted like an emperor. Many would perhaps have bet their money on Snow or (a male) Coin, but I am saving Snow and his evil character for later. Besides, the emperor is going to be a very important person for Katniss, and I don't really see her speaking kindly about Snow.

Also since alcohol is not something that a Sage would drink, Haymitch is feasting on coca leaves. And lastly some of you may be a bit confused about the names that are used describing the emperor. The emperor was believed to be the son of the sun (Inti) and moon (Quilla). He was also describes as the Great Inca, the Son of the Sun and the Inca King for example.

I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is only one thing left to say: Brace yourself for the next chapter where two new characters will be joining us. Take care!


	3. Chapter 3 - The Sons of the Emperor

**Chapter 3 – Quito, November 1527**

Despite the huge amount of shining gold covering the walls, the room is still dim and filled with smoke from the burning coca-leaves in the warm braziers. During the last three days the Emperor has rested underneath his blankets made of fine lama-wool. Sometimes he trembles in his sleep from fever and sometimes he lies awake in the dark, searching for answers.

How will his father, the Sun, receive him in the Other World if he should die without naming his successor? What shall become of the mighty Empire that was born in Cuzco? The Empire that he, Brutus, expanded so greatly that it takes many moons to travel from north to south. What is the meaning of the strange signs that can be seen in the sky as well as in the mountains? Is Inti, his father, declaring his anger? Is it Quilla, his mother, the Moon, who expresses her anxiety?

The questions keep coming, one after another, like an exhausting complain. The pain has taken hold of his body from his head to his abdomen and in his bones. It is an unbearable and unknown pain that the Son of the Sun should have been spared. And in his living nightmare created by pain he sees the strange, silver eyes belonging to the girl they captured in the southern rainforest. Eyes with the colours of the moon, his holy mother, that give him relief from the pain.

The horns sound near the gates of the palace and many steps and voices can be heard in the inner courtyard. But only one man enters the Emperor's room. Before passing through the door his falls to his knees and bends his upper body to the floor. A stone in the size of a child is placed upon his shoulders. This is the way the man approaches the Emperor's resting place.

With an effort the Emperor sits up straight and asks with a voice that is unrecognizable "Gloss? My son, is that you?" From the darkest corner in the room Haymitch' voice sounds, "Yes, my Emperor. Gloss has come to your bedside."

The Emperor has already lost his strength and falls back exhausted. He commands Gloss to rise and a servant removes the stone from Gloss' shoulders. The young Inca lord wears a headpiece around his forehead. He wears the tunic belonging to the ruling clan and a cape with the clan's motives. His nose looks strong and crooked and his skull is tall. His eyes are slightly bloodshot so it looks like he holds back his anger, but his face never shows his true intensions. Everyone who looks upon him holds him in great veneration.

Nevertheless it is he, the mighty lord, who stands in awe in front of the Emperor. Brutus is gravely ill. Gloss had heard the rumours about his father's worsening health, but he had never imagined finding his father in this dreadful condition. It makes him wonder how he could possibly deliver the bad tidings he has been told.

In silence the two great men look at each other and when the silence has filled the room completely the Emperor breaks it. "Tell me what you know, Gloss, my son! Do not hide it from me. I can bear it."

Gloss glances at Haymitch, who nods for him to continue. "My Emperor" Gloss says. "I stand before you in your mighty presence and it pains my heart to bring you nothing but bad tidings." Brutus waves him on.

"Some traders on the coast have told of a strange encounter. Some…. strange-looking creatures arrived from the ocean on a floating wooden mountain." Brutus' feverish eyes scrutinize his son's face. "Are there many of them?".

"No. No more than ten or twenty. They left after stealing a shipment of balsa wood out of Tumbes and kidnapping some sailors." Gloss answers. "Were they human?".

"We're not sure, my Emperor. Some of them had torsos made of some sort of strange silver while others were completely covered with hair – even on their faces. They walked in an upright position like humans but they stank horribly and spoke in an unknown language." Gloss explains.

The look on the Emperor's face tells that he is in deep thought. Who were these creatures? Friend or foe? Foe being the most likely. "When did it happen?" he asks Gloss after minutes of silence. "About three seasons ago.".

"And they left immediately?". "Yes, my Emperor. They left the way they came here, across the ocean on their wooden mountains." Gloss answers.

Haymitch takes a step forward and interrupts with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "They could have been _Viracochas_… have you considered that possibility?". "What do you mean?" Gloss inquires in a firm voice.

"Viracocha, the lord, that created our world. The one who came from Lake Titicaca and created valleys and mountains, man and woman. Viracocha the Mighty, he, who caused Inti, the Sun, to shine and Quilla, the Moon, to maintain and protect us at night." Haymitch says mockingly. "Haymitch! You speak too much. I know who Viracocha is!" Gloss exclaims angrily.

"Well, then you will know that once he had completed his task he disappeared across the sea and went to rest on the western horizon; and that he promised to return to us one day…". "So you believe that it is him who has returned to us" Gloss interrupts angrily and continues, "On a floating mountain and in the shape of stinking men covered in tarnished silver and hair?"

Haymitch returns Gloss' angry look, then turns towards the Emperor. "It is possible, my Emperor. Viracocha can take any form he chooses. He can be one or many, humans or animals, forest or mountain. Anything is possible for him."

Brutus's breath is so loud and laboured that his voice is barely audible. "Do you not believe, that Viracocha has returned to us, my son?" Gloss shrugs and answers, "I do not know, my Emperor. I believe it is too early to draw any conclusions at this moment. We know that impure humans can look strange. During the wars, you yourself saw all kinds in the forests and in the southern mountains. Why should Viracocha return to us now? Our Empire is great and powerful. We have order, the rule of law…"

"But I am dying. Do not deny it, my son. You can see it with your own eyes. And up to this point I have not named the one who will wear the royal _borla_ after me." The emperor interrupts and a heavy silence fills the room.

The old, sick man rises with great effort from his bedside and continues in a stronger voice. "Why do you refuse to let me name you my successor, Gloss? You know that you are closer to my heart than any of my other sons. You know that you are the wisest and the most capable. Why do you refuse and sadden me so as I leave for the Other World?"

"My Emperor, we both know the answer to your question. The Cuzco clans will never accept me. You may be my father, but my mother is from a minor clan. If I were to place the royal headpiece around my forehead I would never succeed in bringing peace and order to the Empire. The Empire would fall apart and I cannot allow that." Gloss explains.

"My Emperor" Haymitch cries "You must decide! You cannot pass into the Other World without naming a successor. The blame would be yours and your offence to the gods will rebound onto us all."

"Haymitch! How dare you talk to our Emperor in this manner!" Gloss yells. "I dare it because we face disaster! Have you forgotten the omens, Gloss? The other night the moon, our mother, split into three circles over the palace. The first was blood red. The second was both black and green. And the last was smoke!"

Brutus collapses onto his sickbed once more and breathes with great difficulty. But Gloss barely notices this in his rage towards Haymitch. "And what was Quilla's message then, oh you mighty Sage?" he asks in mockery.

"Since you so kindly asked, I will tell you. The first circle means that once the Emperor is at Inti's side, his clan's blood will flow in rivers. The second circle predicts massacres and wars that will dig an abyss between the North and the South of the Empire – An abyss between the clans. And the final circle told that once we commit these sins the wrath of Inti and Quilla will be so great that we will be reduced to smoke. We will be utterly destroyed. Do you understand, my noble Lord!"

"This is nonsense" Gloss cries out furiously, "Such stupidities. That is what it is, Haymitch. I deemed you wiser than that. You listen too much to foolish soothsayers who can't hold their tongues. It is all just idle talk. You know very well that they all contradict each other!"

But Haymitch responds in a smooth voice, like a cat that eyes its prey, "Then tell me who is the wise one, Gloos. He who looks for omens to better understand? Or he who sticks his head in the sand and refuses to see?". "Wise is the man who knows when to hold his tongue, my dear brother." Gloss answers.

"Gloss! Gloss!" whispers Brutus and lifts a trembling hand. "Gloss, my son, don't be angry. I care for your believes, your quick mind, and your strength. But maybe Haymitch is right after all. He has always advised me well. Promise me that you will listen to him after I have left this world."

The old man trembles as a new wave of pain sears through his chest and with a great effort he speaks. "But I also believe this: Quilla, my mother, has sent me another sign. Haymitch, bring me the silver-eyed girl."

* * *

Another dawn rises on the Temple of the Sun Virgins. Glimmer slips noiselessly under the wall hanging and into the room, startling Katniss. The anguish of the past days has not released its grip on her. But Glimmer crouches beside her and smiles conspiratorially. "Here. Take it. It is for you." she whispers. Katniss has an astonished look upon her face as she watches Glimmer handing her a magnificent solid gold bracelet, consisting of two intertwined serpents. It looks so lifelike that they would seem to cling to her arm.

"Take it. It's for you" Gimmer repeats. "It's so beautiful… why are you giving me this?" asks Katniss. Glimmer slips the bracelet gracefully onto Katniss' wrist. "Because you are my sister. Do not part from it. It will protect you forever."

Sister? Katniss is not sure whether she should take these words seriously. This girl had done nothing but torment her since her arrival and now she suddenly calls her sister? Could this really be? This was the same girl who a few days ago cheerfully announced that she was to die? She could not believe it, every part of her screamed at her brain to refuse Glimmer's gift, since something had to be underneath it all. But her mother had taught her that she should try to be more in contact with her forgiving nature. So she timidly leans against Glimmer and whispers "Thank you."

Glimmer embraces her and holds her close. Katniss can feel the beat of Glimmer's young heart and the heat from Glimmer's body in that strange embrace. Despite her inner battle, she holds Glimmer tight and feels a lump in her throat by the thought of this human kindness towards her. Glimmer breaks the embrace first. She looks straight into Katniss' silver eyes and says solemnly, "Don't ever forget that I'm you friend".

Katniss could not believe her ears. Her friend. Her very first friend in this unfriendly place. Glimmer must have meant it and the bracelet must have been a sort of I'm-sorry-I-was-mean-to-you-gift. "Now, hurry up. Captain Boggs has come to fetch you. The Emperor has asked for you again." The anxiety in her heart starts to grow once more – but so did another feeling. A feeling of pride, perhaps?

* * *

Before Katniss kneeled outside the door to the Emperor's magnificent room she saw a glimpse of a strange tiny figure draped in red. It was a man with a smaller body than a child. A dwarf. His powerful hands gripped the edge of the Emperor's sickbed and his face expressed quiet desperation. When Boggs orders her to step forward the scent of the room irritates her throat and eyes. The smell of burning coca leaves is blending with the smell of death. In the darkness she senses even more shadows and she recognizes the tunic the green-mouthed Sage wore the last time she was there.

Just like last time she crawls to the Emperor's sickbed on her knees with her gaze locked on the stone floor. The dwarf steps back to make room for her, bur he remains near the Emperor. She feels his deformed body close to hers, but strange enough the feeling is not uncomfortable. Then the Emperor calls for her with a voice as dry as gravel, "Sit up, my girl, and look at me." She straightens her back, and she sees a sight that makes her nauseous.

The Emperor is so ill that his face seems to be rotting even though his last breath has not left him. A foul rash covers his forehead and temples, and the same blemish can be seen on his trembling hands. He murmurs, "Gloss, look at her eyes." A young noble lord approaches to look at her. Katniss restrains an instinct to jump back and flee at the sight of this man. She can feel the power he possesses. He looks straight into her silver eyes, but for once it is not her eyes, that is the object to astonishment. She was shocked by the blood vessels that reddened his eyes. Despite his eyes, she had to admit that his face was handsome and looked strong.

She did not dare to look at him for too long. He must at least be a captain, a general maybe. Who knows what could happen is she got on his bad side. Probably something unpleasant. But when she turns her gaze away from his it locks onto something else.

What she sees gives her a start and almost makes her scream. A pair of dark eyes set above her, a black snout shines at her from the Emperor's bed and she catches the sight of a flash of gleaming fans. The puma! Was she to be sacrificed after all? But then to her relief she realizes that the puma is not alive. It is only a pelt spread over the Emperor's feet.

"Who is she? Where is she from?" Gloss asks with astonishment. "Haymitch will explain everything to you, my son." whispers the Emperor.

Katniss casts a quick look towards the noble man. His son? This powerful-looking man was one of the Emperor's sons! Of course, he was a prince. Anyone could see that in the way he carried himself. Stupid, stupid Katniss, she thought.

"Come closer, girl" the Emperor tells her. Reluctantly Katniss edges closer to his sickbed. The foul odour is suffocating; maybe it was a better fate to be sacrificed to the puma in contrast to that smell.

The dwarf approaches her and whispers in her ear "Don't be afraid of him." It was meant as a reassurance but it only makes her heart beat faster, but one look into the dwarf's kind eyes steadies her heart. With immense effort the Emperor reaches for her with a trembling hand. "Take my hand, girl".

She hears the surprised gasps from different places in the room and she hears Haymitch's voice, "My Emperor! Be careful!" Katniss does not dare to lift her hand. After all, it is against the law to touch the Emperor and is punishable by death… that is, all except his wives and concubines, and she was quite sure she did not fulfil that requirement, nor did she ever want to.

She stares at the outstretched, emaciated hand, blotched and putrid like a rotten vegetable. But his feverish eyes continue to stare into hers. Brutus reaches for her again and orders once more, "Take my hand, girl!" Her head is spinning and she fights the nauseous that is threating to overpower her when she puts her tiny fingers into the convulsing hand of the mighty Inca. With an almost uncontrollable movement he pulls her into his embrace and clings to her. He closes his eyes and his head falls back onto his sweat-soaked cushion. Nobody dares to speak; the only sound that can be heard is the Emperor's deep breathing.

Katniss is trembling as much as the Emperor. She waits and listens to the anxious breathing of his entourage. At last, a tiny smile appears on the Emperor's mouth. His eyelids flutters and his gaze is as glazed as a drunk's. His hoarse voice crackles from his dry throat, "She has the silver of the moon in her eyes, my son. The silver hope of the night. Thank you, Quilla, thank you for having sent her to me. I see clearly now. I understand."

"My Emperor, my father…" Gloss begins, but his father cuts him of. "Hush, Gloss. All is well. The gods has sent her to me to accompany me to the threshold of the Other World. Her eyes soothe me. Do you hear my voice, my son? It is softer already. My pain ebbs. Oh, thank you, Quilla!"

Katniss stands unsteadily. She does not understand what the Emperor means, but she can feel how firm his grip around her is. Yet she senses that he spoke truthfully about his pain. It was indeed ebbing and she wants to smile with him.

After a long silence, she hears sandals brushing on stone. She hears Haymitch and the young prince Gloss leave the room. She remains in the Emperor's embrace with the dwarf squatting somewhere behind her. "Is my eldest son still near?" the Emperor asks weakly. The dwarf speaks in a soft voice, "I am still here, my beloved father.", "I am glad that you are near, but now we must be left alone, my son."

For the second time in a short while Katniss is surprised. The dwarf was the eldest son of the Emperor? Could the Great Inca really have fathered such a grotesque being? How could that be? Everyone knows that children that differ from the beautiful Incas are looked upon as bastards and are left to fate and to the mercy of the gods. But why did the Emperor decide to keep the dwarf and more importantly why did he choose to acknowledge him as his own son? Did the Emperor receive words from the gods to keep him or did the dwarf posses any magical powers?

The questions are only beginning but as Katniss looks into the Emperor's eyes she can only find a tender and loving gaze, which could be the answer to all of her questions. Just as he had spared her own life he could have shown the dwarf the same kindness. There was more to the Emperor than the tales of his great leadership and of the terrible fates he bestowed upon his enemies.

The Son of the Sun releases her from his embrace but grips one of her hands in both of his with an unexpected strength and in a low voice he tells her, "Be patient, sweet girl, I've a long tale to tell you."

* * *

Through that long night, the Emperor never let go of Katniss' hand. He talked and talked. He spoke in a low voice, hardly pausing, as if speech was all he had left. He told her of the past, of the birth of the world, of the founding of Cuzco, the magnificent royal city, by the first Inca Emperor, and of the subsequent conquest of the mountains, the plains and the lakes by the Sons of the Sun before him. He told how he himself, Brutus, the 12th in the line, had extended the Empire of the Four Cardinal Directions to the burning mountains of Quito in the North, and far beyond Lake Titicaca to the South, to the land of eternal ice and snow. He told of his great battles and sieges, and of the peoples he had conquered.

He told of the power and the wisdom and the greatness of all the Emperors. His breathing grew ragged and his lips became dry because of the length of his epic tale. He talked passionately of how the Moon Goddess had smiled upon him, and of the joy he felt to be joining Inti, the Sun God, at last. But he admitted to being apprehensive at meeting his ancestors in the Next World; they would surely upbraid him for imperilling the Empire's future by failing to name a mighty successor.

He explained that he hoped to become a stone, like the Ancients, and to rest on a lush green hillside near Cuzco. And finally he shared with her a great secret – he whispered the future to her. But he did not deliver his message with words. Instead, he passed it on directly through the ruins of his hands to her tender young palms.

And Katniss was overcome by all that she had learned. She could not listen any longer. She was unaware of all the nobles thronging in the great torchlight courtyard and pressing at the threshold of the room. How they tried to listen to the words of the Emperor. But those words were only meant for Katniss and only she could hear them.

And throughout the night the Inca noblemen watched this unheard scene: The Son of the Sun, lying on his deathbed, holding the hand of a kneeling, exhausted half-blood girl. She, an impure child with eyes the colour of the sacred moon, and not even a member of the lowliest clan. And he was telling her everything! All the secrets previously guarded only by Emperors! All the knowledge of the Ancients! Many wanted to cry out against this heresy. And yet, no one dared.

As the sun returns to the horizon Katniss feels drained and exhausted. She had almost nodded off a hundred times. A hundred times she had starched her thighs bloody with her free hand to keep herself awake. A hundred times the puma's yellow eyes had bored into hers, and frightened away her drowsiness. And now at dawn her body and soul are as numb as a snow-covered statue, and the sentences the Emperor had spoken to her are almost erased from her consciousness. Then, just as the last of the nobles still standing awake in the courtyard starts to fall asleep, their heads drooping with tiredness, the Emperor falls silent.

Katniss shudders, her neck stiff, her eyes open wide. She feels a burning sensation through her numb fingers. The Emperor is shivering again and is breathing quickly. His old face appears crumpled, as if his jawbone and skull are dissolving. His eyes, although as opaque as the night, burns with enough heat to melt gold, and his gaze sears into Katniss' own silver orbs.

She is not scared, but she feels as if her heart has been torn open and filled with grief. In the old dying man's eyes she sees her mother lying dead in the village. An agonizing cry comes from deep inside her chest and tears wells in her eyes. Her sobs can be heard even at the far side of the great courtyard terrifying everyone in it.

The Emperor grips her hand one last time, so strongly that she falls forward onto the edge of his bed. He uses his last strength to raise his voice so everyone can hear, "Katniss, daughter of the Moon, child of Quilla: May you live a long life in this world; for I will remember you lovingly when I am seated besides Inti, the Sun God, in the Other World."

And with these last words he falls back into his bed. The Son of the Sun has passed into the Other World. A tremor runs through the crowd gathered in the courtyard. Like a broken blade, Katniss falls to the floor.

* * *

_Glossary_  
- Viracocha = The creator god in the pre-Inca and Inca mythology.  
- Borla = A headband that has the same meaning as a crown. Used only by the Emperor.  
- The Puma was believed to be associated with prosperity and was thought to be the theme of transition and sovereignty.  
- The Other World, the Next World or the Higher World are different names used to describe the afterlife.  
- Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America by the volume of water. The name has actually been translated into "Rock Puma", which is quite fascinating when you think about this story, since the puma will play a major role.

First of all, I would like to thank the wonderful people who wanted to review this story. It really means a lot to me to see that you like this story. Second of all, you may have noticed, this chapter is written in a new outline with more spaces in it, so the story is easier to read.

So, it seems that Katniss has earned the trust of the Emperor which is going to change her life forever. Gloss is the favorite son of Brutus (after all, both of them are strong victors), Glimmer is trying to grab the possibilities and Haymitch gets to be his sarcastic self when arguing. We also heard a little bit about the Incas' first encounter with the Spanish conquerors, who will return in a few years.

Is there anyone who can guess who will be portraying the dwarf? The answer will be revealed in the next chapter…


	4. Chapter 4 - The Mentor and the Friend

**Chapter 4 – Quito, December 1527**

"Are you really that brainless, child?! Do you understand nothing I ask of you? It is not a difficult question. The Emperor himself talks to you throughout the night and his words slip through you mind like sand through fingers?" The Sage, Haymitch, had been grilling her with the same question for hours. And for hours she had meekly given the same answer over and over.

"I don't know, Noble Lord. I didn't understand… he spoke and spoke, he spoke words I'd never heard before… I tried to understand, I really did… but the black puma was eying me and my mind went black…" Katniss tries to explain, but the Sage interrupts her yet again with a furious outburst, "The puma looked at you so your mind went blank! Do you take me for an imbecile?" There is so much bitter sarcasm in his sneering face that Katniss has to look away.

"Calm down, Haymitch." Gloss interrupts dryly. He must have entered quietly during Haymitch' many accusations and sarcastic remarks that neither of them had heard him enter the room. Haymitch beats his gold breastplate with his clenched fist, as if this action would quell his rage, and steps away furiously. The air is stifling in the dark room. It is small and bare room except for a couch and a big empty pot. Haymitch gathers his cape and turns to Gloss and Katniss again, shaking his head sadly. With a deep breath in order to control himself he begins.

"Most Virtuous Lord Gloss, my beloved brother by descent. I respect you greatly, but I don't think you've grasped the gravity of the situation. Already a moon has come and gone since our father, Brutus, rose to the Other World. He left without naming a successor. Perhaps, in his fevered agony, he confided his last wishes to this young girl. And then what happens? A puma skin looked at her and so she can't remember anything!" With this, Haymitch throws Katniss a look of disgust. She feels her knees give way in shame.

"And so," Haymitch continues, "the Empire is in darkness. No Inca can claim the imperial _borla_ as his own. Inti has no son on Earth, and we've no Sun Emperor. Do you not realize the peril we face? Gloss! My Lord Gloss, you could be crowned Emperor."

"You know why I've forfeited the throne, Haymitch. There's no point discussing it" Gloss retorts. "But sensibility has nothing to do with this matter, Gloss! Your refusal forced Brutus to make bad decisions at a time when he was so sick that he was already halfway to the Other World."

"Haymitch! Beware of what you say!" Gloss warns him, but Haymitch continues nonetheless, "But isn't it the simple truth? Whom did Brutus nominate as his successor instead of you? His youngest son, less than a moon old! A newborn! And the oracles foretell ill. All the soothsayers confirmed that it was a terrible choice. But alas, you father, consumed by fever, persisted in this matter."

"You are harping on, Haymitch. You are disrespectful and in any case you have told me nothing that I don't already know." Gloss says. "Is that so? Well then, My Lord, allow me to tell you some news that arrived only this morning. The priests went to the city of Tumebamba to crown the baby, the Emperor-elect. But when they arrived, the child was just as dead as his father!"

The ensuing silence chilled them like a cold gust of wind. Despite herself, Katniss listens closely to the noble men's conversation. She sits as still as possible. She can sense Gloss' slow breathing and the Sage grinding his teeth before he asks Gloss, "What are we to do now, Gloss? You seem to know everything: Tell me, what will happen to us now?"

"The mighty clans from Cuzco will without a doubt place the royal band on my brother Titus' head." Gloss admits gravely. "After all, he was the designated second in line…"

"No doubt! But the omens are as bad concerning him as they were concerning the newborn! And no matter how much the clans want him as a leader, you know Titus as well as I do. He is unpredictable. For the moment he follows the wishes of his uncles and aunts in Cuzco, who crave power and who feel nothing but hate for the northern clans. No one can know how he will rule the Empire, but one thing is for sure: He is cruel and violent! Blood will flow and it will be _our_ blood that is spilt since he will see us as his enemies. That is what to expect if he takes the throne. Is that what you want? I tell you: I fear the fury of our Lord, Inti; I dread the tear of Quilla and Illapa's lightning! Gloss, only _you_ can maintain order across the Empire!"

Gloss looks him straight in the eye and replies in a measured tone. "No, Titus will wear the _borla_. That was the last wish of Brutus, our father."

Haymitch looks at him in despair and then in rage stamps his foot so violently that it makes Katniss jump in her seat. The Sage points a finger at her like a spear blade. His green teeth and lips, stained by coca leaves, appears black in the shadows of the room and his words seems to come out of a terrible black hole.

"How do you know that? The Emperor's last words were to this little girl. For a whole night he spoke to her about the future! We must find out what he told her. All she has to do is to remember!... Oh, Gloss! Let me have her. I'll skin her alive if needed be. I promise you that before sunset…"

"No!" Gloss interrupts sharply, "you will do no such thing." The two men glare at each other for a moment when Haymitch breaks the eye-contact and walks past Katniss towards the narrow door with such haste that Katniss did not think possible in his state of anger. She only managed to catch a few of his words as he walked past her; words like disaster, bastard, and puma, which makes her look down in fear while shame and terror clutch her heart. Surely, he had been talking about her since he only calls her a bastard child or other foul words. But he does not come far before Gloss calls out to him.

"Listen to me closely, Haymitch, my brother. I know that you only wish what is the best for me, and I will not forget that. But I must honour our father's last decision, even if I don't like it. If he thought that our mother, the Moon, sent him this girl then he must have had his reasons to think so. If he decided to confide the future to her yesterday, and then had her forget it today, he did so for a purpose. "

Katniss dares to look at Haymitch again. He turns around slowly to face Gloss. When he stands in front of his brother once more he sighs. His face looks like it has added 10 years. There is no more anger and desperation in his eyes, only exhaustion and frustration remain. "And what will you have me do?" he asks.

"What must be done. You heard as well as I what our father said the night he died. _Katniss, daughter of the Moon, child of Quilla: May you live a long life in this world._ He wished for her to live, and he also said that he would remember her lovingly. That means he selected her as the guardian of his Sacred Double. We will ensure that it is so." Gloss answers.

Haymitch shakes his head, his face weary. Katniss thought that it was not possible for him to look even more tired than he did before, but Gloss' words seemed to have had that effect on him. Haymitch runs both his hands through his slightly greasy hair before taking a deep breath. As if speaking to a child, he says, "That is not possible. A Sacred Double never has a wife. It is not heard of."

Katniss had to agree with the Sage about this, even if she didn't like him the slightest. It is true that she had not always listened to every word the matrons in the _akklawasi _had said, but she could remember them teaching about the Sacred Double. A statue made from pure gold that was a direct copy of the former ruling Emperor. While the Emperor himself joined his father and mother in the Higher World, the gold statue, his Sacred Double, remained on Earth in order to guide the people and the new Emperor in time of need. The statue would be dressed in the Emperor's fine clothes and design while priests and priestesses would offer the statue food and sacrifices in order to please the Emperor in the Higher World. And while the Emperor himself had many wives during his life on earth, his Sacred Double had none. How could it be possible? And on top of that, the mighty Gloss wanted _her_ to be the wife of his father's Sacred Double? She can do nothing for now but to sit in silence on the couch and look from one man to the other as their discussion continues.

"Well, it is possible now." Gloss answers as if it was the most simply thing in the world, "You will see to that and you will tell the priests and priestesses yourself that this girl will become the Sacred Double's _Coya Camaquen_."

"WHAT!" Haymitch cries. He steps closer to Gloss and adds in a low voice "... I mean, forgive me… but have you lost you mind, Gloss? They will never accept that. Please, my prince, it is insanity! Let me have her. I can make her remember. I'll throw her into the puma's pit…"

"NO! Emperor Brutus wanted her to be close to him and the only way she can be that in this world is to stay by the side of his Sacred Double. The nobles who were present on his night of passing heard him as clearly as we did." Gloss says.

"But the girl is just a savage! She probably doesn't even know what a _Camaquen_ is, and she has never seen a Sacred Double!" Haymitch tries to argue. "Well, then you will see to it that she learns all these things – and that she learns it quickly." Gloss responds.

"Gloss! What are you saying? She is not even a true Inca. Why should she learn our secrets? It is against our tradition and the law… If you are wrong, what will become of us then?" Haymitch says in hope of making Gloss see the sensibility of his words. But Gloss just turns and walks towards the window in the wall. He stops in the warmth of the sunrays, looks up into the light and answers, "How can I be wrong if I follow my father's wishes. And besides, it was he who chose to tell her all of our secrets that night. If he meant she was fit to be told, then you will think so too."

"But who can tell if that was our father's wish? If our mistake is too great, then the sun won't rise over the eastern mountains again! Do you want us to live in the same darkness as the Underworld? Do you want time to stop and us with it?" Haymitch asks.

Gloss turns to him and says, "Stop moaning, Haymitch. I am certain of our father's wishes and now do as I command. You will be her mentor from this day forth. It is of the uttermost importance that she learns our secrets and ways. The fault will be entirely yours if she fails or in worst case… dies. Do I make myself clear or has your overconsumption of coca leaves turned _you_ into a brainless fool as well?"

Haymitch huffs and looks Katniss straight in the eye. In one swift motion he grips her by the chin and lifts her head upwards towards his own. "You heard his words, Katniss, girl from the rainforest. From now on you will obey me completely. You will do my every command; you will learn our ways since that is the will of my brother, Gloss. And I promise to you that should you suddenly recover your memory and your tongue, and then tell someone other than me what the Emperor told you before he died, I'll cut your heart into little pieces. Do you understand… _sweetheart_?"

Haymitch thrusts her face away so roughly that is feels almost like a blow. He storms out of the door without even looking at Gloss. Katniss is so shocked by this sudden movement that her pride abandons her and she falls from the couch and land on her hands and knees on the cold stone floor. Prince Gloss looks at her for a moment before stepping forward and bending over her. He touches her shoulders with the tips of his fingers; almost a caress.

"Look at me, sweet girl." he orders gently. She obeys and sees that his eyes are redder than ever as a result of the argument with the Sage, but she also sees a faint smile appearing on his handsome face. "Don't cry, Katniss" he says softly, "Be strong and proud. Don't let the wise man scare you. He speaks harshly, but he is not as mean as he pretends to be. He only wants the best for our people."

He stops smiling but scrutinizes her closely, as if looking for an answer in her sparkling silver eyes. His face hardens once more and he says solemnly, "Don't fear anyone, Katniss. I promise that I will protect you with my every power as my father commands me to from the Other World.

* * *

"Katniss, my sister…" Glimmer had sneaked into the room as soon as Gloss had left it. She kneels besides Katniss and strokes Katniss' hand. Her fingers run over the serpent bracelet she gave her. "Is it true what they say?" she whispers when the curiosity gets too much for her. Katniss looks at her, not understanding her question.

"That you don't remember anything from your night with the Emperor. None of his words?… nothing at all?" Katniss hesitates to answer for a moment. She still hears the echo of Haymitch's threat. But then again, she does not really want to upset her new friend, so she says, "The Emperor spoke to me and I know that his words are within me."

"But do you remember them?" Glimmer impatiently insists and squeezes Katniss' wrist. "No, not now. But when she Emperor wishes it, I'll remember." Glimmer sighs and laughs a little. "Oh well, if you don't wish to confide in me…" she begins, but Katniss quickly responds "Glimmer! You know I can't. Even if I could remember, I am not allowed to tell you!"

The young princess shrugs, straightens her back and toys with the golden needle that holds her cape together. In that gesture Katniss sees the old Glimmer again, the girl who is filled with haughtiness and disdain. "It doesn't matter. I came to tell you something far more important. After all, you have not left this room since the Emperor died, so I don't expect you to know." Glimmer says casually. "Because I am not allowed to leave the room" Katniss murmurs and looks longingly towards the door.

"Yes, I just said that, didn't I? And besides, I can't stay for long, but I think you should know since you are my sister. A great honour has been bestowed upon me and as soon as the fast for the Emperor's passing is over, I will become Prince Gloss' concubine." Glimmer says proudly.

"Oh!" Katniss exclaims. "Yes – are you surprised, my dear sister?" Glimmer asks. "No, not at all… I mean, you are beautiful. I understand why." Katniss says.

"Yes, that is true" Glimmer laughs, self-importantly, "I believe he finds me very beautiful. And so you'll understand, that is doesn't really matter that you won't tell me anything. I'll find out anyway. You see, when standing, the nobles lords are filled with pride and silence, but lying in bed in the arms of their concubines... then it's a whole other matter."

And with these words, Glimmer leaves the room, the rustling of her finely woven wool tunic just audible beneath her cascading laughter. Katniss is sure that her cheeks must be flaming red due to Glimmers words. She spoke like the words was the most natural thing to say, but Katniss still blushes at the thought of her words. She may only be a young girl, but she has heard a thing or two about the life of a woman.

But her thoughts are luckily distracted by a deep voice that Katniss recognizes immediately. "Don't believe every word she says. Glimmer is nothing but a cruel liar." Katniss looks over her shoulder and true enough, the dwarf's head and shoulders appear out of the mouth of the big pot in the corner of the room. His torso and legs follow and then in a split second he stands before her.

His thick hair is speckled with yellow flecks of maize. She looks into his eyes that still give her a comforting feeling. She notices that he is not only wearing golden discs in his dilated ear lobes like the other royal Incas, but his eyelids too are painted with gold. He is wearing a serious expression on his face.

"She's a liar and as mean as a wounded snake" he continues while shaking his head so the maize grains fall from his hair, "The first time she saw me, she kicked me just because of my appearance. She is the type of person that bends over for the strong and steps on the weak. Even listening to her words bring damage to none but yourself."

Katniss knit her brows in attempt to seem strong and asks, "Why is she your concern? And what are you even doing here?". A smile is forming on the dwarf's face and he looks at her with sparkling brown eyes, "I am here to watch over you, Princess." he says.

"Princess? I am no princess. I am just a girl from the rainforest. I don't belong here and everybody knows it." Katniss says solemnly. "Really? For that is not what I think. I do believe that you belong here. Emperor Brutus believed you belong here, now Prince Gloss believes it too and very soon the rest of the Empire will follow." the dwarf says.

She does not know why, but his words give her comfort and hope. Still, she dares not believe it to be true. "And how can you be so sure of that? I don't know you at all, and you certainly don't know me and suddenly you think you know me well enough to say those kind words?" Katniss tells him. That may have been a bit harsh, but befriending people had never been her thing. She had never been good at it and her words were probably not helping at all.

But the dwarf merely looks at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "You may think I don't know you. But the fact is that I do know you. I know that your name is Katniss and that you are 11 summers old. I know that you belonged to the wild _Chiriguanos_ in the rainforest, that you have no siblings and that your mother was an Inca princess from Cuzco. Also, I know that you have a problem with trusting people but first and foremost I know that you have a good heart. I can see it in your eyes. And for the part of you not knowing me, I can tell you that my name is Cinna and I believe in you. I believe you are destined for great things. There… now you know me as well. Now we are no strangers."

The dwarf, Cinna, chortles. Nimbly, he falls to his knees in a playful gesture and proclaims "My Princess!". Katniss tries to hold back her own laughter by this gesture. Instead she manage to say, "Cinna, please. Stop playing the fool". He looks at her with a sorrowful look, "I'm not playing the fool. On the contrary; my master has died and I ask nothing more then the honour of serving you."

"Why on earth would you want to serve me? I am so ugly, and…" Katniss starts, but Cinna gives her a playful look once more and says, "Have you had a close look at me, Princess?"

That was it. Katniss could no longer control herself. She bursts into a profound, ringing laughter that lifted her anguished soul. She hadn't laughed for so long and had suffered so much that now she could not stop. As she laughed and laughed the dwarf stood up and looked impassively.

"I'm sorry…" she stutters when she finally calmed down, "but I still don't know exactly who you are". "Didn't you hear the Emperor call me his son?" Cinna asks her. "Yes, I did hear that, but…", "But you thought that the fever had demented his mind" he finishes her sentence. Katniss immediately starts feeling ashamed for her assumptions, but Cinna says without rancour, "Don't worry about it. You didn't hurt my pride."

She takes a step back and looks at him more closely and she discovers that he is wearing the same red tunic that he had worn when she first saw him, crouched at the foot of the Emperor's deathbed. Before she can think the better of it, she asks, "Do you never change your clothes?". "My dear Princess. I was wearing this the day the Great Lord Brutus captured me and anointed me his son" Cinna says.

So Cinna was not the Emperor's true son, but was captured just like she was, and the Emperor still made him his son? "I don't understand." she says. "I know, it's difficult to understand. Let me explain. My people are a tribe of _Canaries_ who have always warred with the Incas. One day, many years ago when I was quite young, Brutus had chased us to the shores of Lake Yaguarcocha and had destroyed most of our houses. I had hidden under a pile of thick wool blankets, trembling…"

As he spoke, Cinna's expression changed as frequently as the sky during the wet season. Extreme fear and wry jocosity played in turn across his face. "I heard his wrath explode into words like a fat black storm bearing clouds. I was terrified of dying, a terrible and undignified fear. When I felt a hand probing through the pile, I thought, _That's it for me_."

Katniss remembers too well the fear she had seen in her own village when the Incas had attacked her people. "You must've really begged for mercy" she says.

"Not at all, Princess. I still don't know why I did it, but I suddenly yelled, _Go away, whoever you are. Just let me sleep!_ And I repeated this several times as I slowly sat up yawning as if I'd just been woken from a long slumber."

Katniss laughs again at the thought of this scene and then asks, "What did the Emperor say?" Cinna chuckles, "He laughed, just like you are laughing, Princess. He laughed so heartily. And everyone around him laughed – generals, soldiers, noblemen – they laughed despite the predatory gleam in their eyes, they laughed because he was laughing. The only one who didn't laugh was his red-eyed-son…"

"Gloss?" Katniss asks. "Yes, I know the reason, along with a select few – but, believe me, it's better for you not to know. But I also know that if the Emperor had not liked me immediately and declared me his son, my fate would have been a different matter." He makes a hand motion across his neck pretending to cut his throat with his hand to emphasize his point.

"But a few weeks after the Emperor took me with him to Quito he discovered my talent for fabrics and drawing motives. He then bestowed upon me the honour-full job of designing the motives on the tunics of his clan. Every form, every symbol and every shape you see on the Emperor's tunics and the tunics of his clan, have been created by me for many years now."

Katniss had seen the magnificent tunics of the Emperor and his wives and concubines. The fabric was the finest lama wool you could find and the motives… the motives and the colours had possessed such beauty, which Katniss had never seen before. And to think that Cinna had designed them all was even more astonishing.

Cinna's face is now completely solemn. He looks to the ground and continues sadly, "...but now I've lost my father and I fear what will become of me." Katniss understands his unspoken meaning and says, "You're as alone as I am, aren't you? I wished I knew how to help you, but I am just a young girl".

Cinna looks at her and says, "It seems that way… but I have a slight hope. If what they say is true and Gloss' plan will work, then you will belong to Emperor Brutus clan as well, meaning that you will be wearing his symbols and motives so I guess I will continue designing your tunics as well. And let me tell you, that from the very moment I heard the rumours I knew exactly how I should dress you, so I really hope the rumours are true, my Princess."

Now a huge smile plasters his face and his eyes shines. Ancient, primeval emotions, feelings that she does not try to understand, make her shiver. A wave of tenderness knots her stomach and dims her eyes with tears. She wants to tell him about her most private demons, she wants to reveal to him the shreds of her memories. But all that come out of her mouth are garbled, meaningless sounds while her tears fall and her breathing grows short.

Cinna reaches out to her, his large, disfigured hands hold hers with uncommon tenderness. "Princess, say nothing. It's all right, everything is all right." he comforts her. "I want to… I would like to…" she tries to explain to him why she reacts this way but the words will not come. She had never been good with words.

She huddles against him and suddenly she feels minuscule, tinier even than he; she feels utterly lost and helpless. Nevertheless, for the first time in many moons, she feels a spark of hope and gratitude.

* * *

Cinna would hide whenever anyone visited her during the next days. As night progressed he lay beside her on the straw mat that had been brought into the room, and they talked. Katniss told him about her village, about the Incas' attack and her mother's death, about Captain Boggs, about the strange hateful passion that Glimmer showed her, about the fear she had acquired along with Brutus' secret, the secrete everybody wanted, and she told him about her fear of being sacrificed.

And as if he had read her thoughts he would say, "How despicable we must seem to you… sacrificing people here and there. I know that is not a part of the Chiriguano-tradition." He was right though. She did find this particular Inca-tradition revolting and the Incas despicable for performing it. But he continued to talk.

He spoke of the royal court and its intrigues, the jealousies of the concubines and the tyranny of the aristocrats. He told her the secret that Gloss was guarding in his heart, the real reason he could not be Emperor. He told her to trust nobody with the words hidden in her heart, the ones that Brutus had placed there and that lay documented within her.

They admitted to one another that they never wanted to be separated now that they had met, and promised to look out for each other. He made her laugh quietly and she called him "My Lord" and he called her "Your Grace" or "My Princess". In the privacy of night they laid aside their terrible loneliness and peeled back the layers of their accumulated fears.

A fear about what would become of her if Gloss' plan failed but also of what would happen if Haymitch succeeded in his task of persuading the priests and priestesses to accept Gloss' plan. That would mean that she would have to be in the spotlight, surrounded by great men and with all eyes fixed upon her. What would they expect of her? But how she could tell Cinna about these fears was more difficult than she had expected. Instead she said, "These past three seasons have just been so difficult since I could trust no one and I had no friends…"

"What about me? Could you think of me as your friend?" he asks. Of all the people she had met since she came to the House of the Sun Virgins, Cinna is by far her favourite. "I think so. But when I see the people, the noble lords, the priests, and the priestesses they will probably expect me to speak, and I don't know how I will manage" she admits. "Just think that I will be standing in the crowd. And when you talk, pretend you are talking to me." Katniss looks at him. She could not believe it, but her heart told her no lies. She really had found a true friend in this scary and unfriendly place. And with that revelation her world seemed to brighten.

"Just remember to hold your head high and smile. They are going to love you. How can they not?"

* * *

Glossary  
- Borla = the royal headband that has the same meaning as a crown.  
- _Coya _is the word for queen and I guess that _camaquen_ has something to do with the Sacred Double. In my world _coya camaquen _means the first wife of the Sacred Double, or the Sacred Double's queen.

Thank you, thank you, thank you very much for your lovely reviews! It means the world to me to know, that you like this story. I know this story is progressing slowly, but there are so much to describe to make it possible to understand Katniss' world and this storyline before introducing the other characters.

The dwarf turned out to be Cinna who will be an important character for Katniss in her new life among the Incas. Haymitch has been given the task of being Katniss' mentor despite his own interests and believes, and now he faces the almost impossible tasks of persuading the priests and noble lords. How will that turn out? (I just love, love, LOVE Haymitch's character, I mean, who does not love him?)


	5. Chapter 5 - Coya Camaquen

**Quito, January 1528**

"Coya Camaquen! _Coya Camaquen! _Please wake up. You have a big, big, BIG day ahead of you." Katniss awakes immediately due to the high-pitched voice a few feet away from her. She props herself on her elbows on the sleeping mat and looks with astonishment at the sight in front of her. A tall woman with ridiculously large hair braided with gemstones stands only a few feet away from her. She wears bracelets of pure gold around her slender wrists and necklaces made of seashells around her neck and she is dressed in a magnificent colourful tunic. Without a doubt, a noblewoman.

Behind the woman Katniss eyes six or seven young women busying themselves about her room. When the young women notice she is awake they immediately fall down on their knees and shuffle back and thereby according her all the signs of respect usually reserved for high-ranking ladies.

Even the noblewoman with the high-pitched voice in the magnificent tunic has kneeled before her with her head lowered and her palms spread on the beaten-earth floor before continuing, "Coya Camaquen, please follow us."

Coya Camaquen! This must mean that the powerful will of the mighty prince Gloss had triumphed and the Sage, Haymitch, had been successful in his quest. Coya Camaquen… if only she knew what that meant. Was it the name of her new role? And if so, what would her duties be?

But she does not have time to ask herself any more questions. The tapestry covering the doorway has finally been lifted and the sun is shining brightly outside in the courtyard. Finally, she is going to leave this room that seems to her more of a prison cell than a bedroom.

Katniss raises herself from the sleeping mat and follows the noblewoman while the young women walk closely behind her. She has only just left the room when she hears an awful sound and her whole body shudders. The huge palace is filled with a wailing echo. The beautiful flowers that she had seen in full blossom a few days ago have all been cut and lay fading on the ground. All of the late Emperor's wives wander about in the great courtyard aimlessly, their faces marked with grief.

"What is happening?" She asks the noblewoman in front of her. The noblewoman turns around and looks at her, "The Emperor's wives are in mourning. Their husband has left this world and thereby left them for now. But come along, Coya Camaquen, we must not delay."

The noblewoman and the servant girls lead her into a courtyard where she has never been before. In this courtyard groups of noblemen with the traditional gold discs in their ear lobes are grieving as well. The men turn away from her when she enters the courtyard and stay in this position until she has reached her destination; a large stone edifice.

The walls of the stone edifice are covered in sheets of gold and high alcoves contain llamas carved from stone, pottery, and delicately painted vases. On a wooden bench in the middle of the room lies a magnificent set of clothes. There is no doubt that this must be Cinna's work. The_ iliclla_, a dark red cape, is distinguished by a large V-shaped motif in light blue and bright yellow. She runs her trembling fingers over the weaving, which feels as soft as a baby's skin.

Then she discovers the _acsu_, the finest tunic she has ever seen. It is dyed in the same colour as the _iliclla_ and decorated with two bands of geometric motifs, one yellow and white, the other blue and red. The tunic is so finely woven that some strands of colour were as narrow as hair. She is so engrossed in the beautiful fabrics that she does not hear the footsteps coming closer.

"It is Brutus' imperial motif" a well-known voice growls. Haymitch points a finger at the cape and tunic. "I assume I have to teach you everything, girl. From now on you belong to the deceased Emperor's clan. At certain ceremonies you will wear only white, but the rest of the time you will wear his colours, Coya Camaquen. I will teach you everything you need to know about your new position and its duties, but every other aspect of your new status Effie will be in charge of teaching you." Haymitch makes a head gesture towards the noblewoman with the ridiculously large hair. She must be this Effie the Sage is talking about.

Effie immediately starts ranting on, "Do not worry, my Lord. You can rest assure that I will teach her everything she needs to know in order to become a true Inca noblewoman. It is clear to see that this girl is in an _awful_ lack of manners, but that is understandable when you think of her wild childhood in that dreadful rainforest… one would have thought that the matrons in the _akklawasi_ had been able to teach her just a little bit about poise and dignity. Oh well, not to worry, dear girl. You should thank Quilla that you are in my care from now on. I promise that I will transform you into a true noblewoman. And to think…."

It was a mystery indeed to Katniss how much this woman could gabble, but apparently Haymitch was used to this since he sighs deeply before interrupting her, "Yes, that is true, Effie. Your enthusiasm for the education of our new Coya Camaquen is honourable indeed."

The Sage spoke the last words with doubt in his tone as if still finding the situation difficult to accept. He looks at Katniss and sighs once more, showing her the green coca leaves he is chewing. Then he shakes his head and continues, speaking mostly to himself. "Coya Camaquen… that is what you now are – Gloss wished it and I managed to persuade the priests since no one dares to defy his will… oh may Inti forgive our folly, if we are wrong."

"My Lord…" Katniss starts, but Haymitch looks sternly at her. "Don't bother me with your questions now, girl. I'll explain everything to you but only when you need to know." And with that, he turns away from her and starts walking towards the entrance of the room while his order fills the room. "Dress her quickly. Don't make me wait!"

* * *

When Katniss finally reappears in the central courtyard with a proud Effie standing right behind her, the noblemen stop talking again. But this time they do not turn away from her. This time they fix their gazes on her, observing with wonder her non-Inca features. Not because of her unknown proportions, her height, the light skin, the thin lips, or the nose that is too straight, but because of her extraordinary silver irises. Indeed, it occurred to more than one of them that her shining eyes are the ultimate jewels to be added to the wealth of the late Emperor Brutus.

Embarrassed by so much attention, Katniss turns to look at Effie for guidance, but the noblewoman shakes her head and says in a low voice, "No, my dear. The steps toward the Sage you have to walk alone." And with a little push on her back Effie sends her into the courtyard.

Haymitch stands near the porch of the adjoining courtyard, holding a heavy ceremonial spear, a gold-tipped _chuqi_ adorned with green and red feathers. He waits for her motionlessly and watch her approach him through the crowd of noblemen gathered in the massive court. But from the corner of his eye he notices the stupefied looks that are following her.

When she is within whispering distance Haymitch murmurs to her, "Listen to me carefully. You will follow me now. You will listen and you will only speak when I command." He turns and walks briskly towards the porch, where some soldiers stand guard in front of a huge blood-coloured tapestry.

Upon reaching the soldiers he stops in front of them and taps the ground with his _chuqui_. The soldiers stand aside and he passes between them, draws aside the tapestry and makes a gesture for Katniss to follow him before he vanishes behind the tapestry. Her heart beats rapidly and she takes a deep breath before following him. Once inside, she freezes, unable to take another step of the sight before her.

She has stepped into a massive, delicately paved courtyard. Low buildings stand along three sides, their entrances covered by hangings made of blue and yellow feathers. All the walls are covered in gold sheets so fine that they shiver with the slightest breeze. Katniss thought that she by now would be more used to the many signs of the Inca's wealth, but this courtyard was dazzlingly beautiful. The intense midday sun bounces of the sheets and encircles them in a fluid gold light. For a moment she was sure that this is what it must be like to stand in the mighty gaze of Inti; an earthly eye of Inti, where the atmosphere is heavy and the air harder to breath.

While she was standing in this glorious sight, Haymitch had not waited for her hypnotized state to break but instead continued right into centre of the gold-lit courtyard where there stood a roofless room enclosed on four sides by tapestries, these with many gold orbs hanging from them. He stops before it and turns to Katniss. When seeing her current state of wonder he rolls his eyes and gestures imperiously for her to approach.

That was all it took for Katniss to break the spell she had been under. She could feel her cheeks heat with embarrassment…and it did not help that the sunrays and the reflections off the walls of gold light her bare face. She feels feverish by now and she is sweating profusely as she takes small steps towards the Sage.

Once she had arrived beside him he turns away and thrusts his spear up towards the sun. He throws his head back to look directly up in the sky and then with a deep, hollow voice he says, "O, Inti! O, Inti, Lord of Day! Here is the Coya Camaquen of your favoured son Brutus. Here she bows before you. May you accept her and not be offended by her ignorance!"

Katniss supresses the urge to scowl at the Sage's words. "_Her ignorance"_… She is not ignorant, young and uneducated to Effie's standards maybe, but certainly not ignorant. She considers herself clever and that means that she is clever enough to know that it would be very foolish to scowl at the Sage and certainly not to scowl in the presence of Inti. The Sage then lifts the gold tapestry with his spear and gestures Katniss to follow him as he enters the roofless room.

There he is – the one whose hand she had held throughout the night as he lay dying. Now, he is lying on a thick layer of grass and cinchona leaves spread on straw mats. Large solid-gold llama statues stand guard around him. Coca leaves are burning in great shallow bowls made of clay. A gold statue with emerald eyes stands on a polished granite stand a few paces from him.

The corps's skin is dark and taut. His stomach is an open pit filled with a sort of black paste smelling of burned meat. Katniss dugs her nails into her palms to prevent herself from screaming and running away as fast as her feet can carry her. Never in her life had she seen such a horrible sight, not even when her mother had been killed right beside her.

Haymitch bows and murmurs some words she does not understand. She wonders if she should do the same, but as he had not ordered her to, she remains upright, petrified with fear. She looks at the Emperor's face so as not to have to look at his open stomach or throat. His eyelids have been pinned up and reveal two hollows where his eyeballs should have been. The skin is stretched tight over his high-set cheekbones and his long earlobes hang strangely distorted without the gold disks that had once decorated them. Still, she had only seen the Emperor when he had been grimacing in great pain but she has to admit that in death his expression seems beautifully calm.

The emerald-eyed statue seems to be watching over him with a lifelike gaze. The statue is the size of a child and is formed as a man with his hands spread open on his thighs. She recognizes his face – the dead Emperor. Staring into the statues eyes Katniss feels overwhelmed by emotion and feels like fainting. And she would have crumpled to the ground at that very instant had Haymitch not hissed into her ears, pointing at the statue.

"Girl, you see before you the Emperor's Sacred Double. While the Emperor himself has joined the mighty Inti in the Other World, his Sacred Double remains in this world to protect us. The Emperor selected you to be his eternal companion. For as long as you live, you will remain close to his golden brother. That is why from now on you will be known as Coya Camaquen, the queen of Emperor Brutus' Sacred Double. You may never – do you hear me – never leave him! The Emperor will speak to us through his Sacred Double and your mouth and he will tell us his will and protect us."

Katniss trembles from the emotions that threat to consume her. She does not understand the entire meaning of the Sage's words. And again she feels an urge to run away and cry in a corner like the terrified child she is. But then, as if an invisible hand had appeased her fear and calmed her, she listens to the Sage speak. She remains patiently still and feels reassured by the Emperor's calm expression.

"Now," continues Haymitch slowly, "repeat after me. My Lord, my Emperor, I am the wife of your twin soul…". She has difficulties unclenching her jaw to say the words. All her muscles are so tense that they feel as if they will crack any moment. Her stomach feels as hollow as the one in the dried cadaver before her.

"Say it!" ordered the Sage, still looking directly at the statue.

"My Lord, my Emperor, I am the wife of your twin soul" she says in a small voice.

"My Lord, my Emperor, I will watch over you in this world, while you are in the other." Haymitch says. She looks straight into the emerald-eyes of the statue and feels her courage returning to her, "My Lord, my Emperor, I will watch over you in this world, while you are in the other." she says in a more firm voice.

"My Lord, my Emperor, I will serve your Sacred Double as his loyal wife." Haymitch says, and she repeats, "My Lord, my Emperor, I will serve your Sacred Double as his loyal wife."

"And now Coya Camaquen Katniss, prostrate yourself before him you serve, your new master!"

* * *

Over the following twenty days Haymitch led Katniss five more times into the forbidden golden courtyard where only the priests with the highest ranking are allowed to enter. Five more times she watched the Emperor's body mummify. Sometimes he was covered in a coating of grass and saltpetre and left to dry in the burning sun. Sometimes blocks of ice brought down from the mountains were covered in hay and placed around his body to freeze it overnight.

His body was no longer laid flat but set upright upon a pile of reeds. His legs were folded and his heels had been pushed up under his mummified thighs that are no thicker than his bones. The very last time she went to visit him, she saw that he had been dressed in a magnificent llama-pelttunic. A diadem of colourful feathers in yellow, white, blue and red crowned his restful face. The sight had such an effect on Katniss that she for a moment had thought she had seen his lips move and his eyes look at her.

With each visit the Sage lost a little of his crossness. His voice was patient as he led her through the evocations she repeated in front of the golden Sacred Double. And he reminded her calmly how the world was divided into three realms. The one she could see and touch was _Kay Pacha_. Here were the mountains and the lakes, the animals and mankind. In this world humans made war and peace, gave birth and became ill. This world contained the Law of the Cuzco Incas, the princes of the Empire of the Four Cardinal Directions and the only humans that the Sun considered as his own.

"The Sun God lives in the Upper World. There he is sometimes joined be his wife-sister the Moon Goddess and by his brother Illapa, the Lightning God. And beneath your feet, Coya Camaquen, is the realm of our ancestors…" Haymitch explains.

"But where is Emperor Brutus now?" Katniss asks him, confused. "He is everywhere, Katniss. He is close to Inti, our father in the Upper World. He is with his ancestors in their Under World. And he is here with us, through his Sacred Double and you, who can hear him… if you can, sweetheart" Haymitch smiles slightly. After spending many days in each other's company Haymitch seems to finally have accepted her and he now teases her without fury or contempt in his voice, only a lot of sarcasm.

"That is why we say that he's in the Other World", he continues, "The Other World is a place of happiness. But to reach it, one must have lived here without failure and without breaking any Cuzco law. And one must have died well." The Sage chews on his coca leaf in silence for a moment and then concludes with a nod of his head. "You must not die unless told to by Emperor Brutus. And you must never leave his Sacred Double. Do you understand, Katniss?"

Does she really understand? She is not so sure.

* * *

That evening she sees the mighty Prince Gloss again for the first time since his father had died. He comes into her room as she eats all by herself. She almost knocks her bowl of potato soup in surprise of his presence. She quickly bows her head and kneels on the ground, but Gloss gently says, "You may stand and look at me, Coya Camaquen."

She obeys timidly. But Gloss's kind gaze gives her confidence. He appears as handsome and strong as when she had first seen him, despite the unease that lines his face and the tight line of his mouth. "Katniss, I'm pleased with you. The Sage tells me that you are a fast learner, that you are strong and that you are obedient – most of the time," he says with a twinkle in the eye at the last comment.

She blushes at the praise and bows slightly in appreciation. He immediately asks, "Coya Camaquen, do you remember yet what the Emperor told you?" She shakes her head sadly. "No, my Lord. I don't remember…" she says with a small voice as her previous pride is starting to be replaced with shame and guilt. "Not even one word?" he asks again.

"No – but…" she slowly begins, "But?" Gloss asks with a kind voice. She straightens herself and looks into his eyes, determined to show the mighty Lord that she can be useful. "I know that his words remain within me. But I feel that the Emperor doesn't want me to remember them yet."

Gloss contemplates her silently for a moment before moving closer to her. He glances quickly at the doorway before whispering, "Are you sure?". "No, my Lord," Katniss replies honestly and just as quietly. She would never be able to lie to a man she owed so much, "No, I'm not sure. But when I am with his Sacred Double, I feel confident that his words are within me. It's just that I'm not free to remember or speak them yet. "

Gladness lights up Gloss' reddened eyeballs. With astonishing gentleness he strokes Katniss's arm with this fingertips. There is a long silence before he murmurs, "Be careful, dear Coya Camaquen, be very watchful. I can protect you here, but other clans may wish you harm."

"Why, my Lord? Why would they want to hurt me?" Katniss' mind is now in uproar by his words. After all she is just a girl. What would the other clans want with her? "Because the words you hold within you may decide the future of the Empire. Be careful, Katniss, and watch what you say, especially after the great ceremony." Gloss explains. The questions are just starting to form in her mind, "The great ceremony?" she asks, but Gloss brushes it aside.

"You'll find out later. But I've faith in you. I think my father made a good decision, albeit an odd one. But be on your guard, especially with my brother Titus and his clan from Cuzco. They too want to hear the secret you have within you."

* * *

In the evening when she is alone once more, the seed of fear that prince Gloss had planted earlier that day is blossoming in her. She feels lost in a chasm of silence and mystery. A silence that seems to freeze the palace and a mystery that grips her very soul. Was it true what Prince Gloss had told her? That she held the future of the Empire within her? Why? What words were they? And above all, why her?

She was so young, had lived so few years. How was she supposed to carry such an enormous responsibility? And what if her instinct was wrong? What if she did not have the words sleeping inside her after all or if she had simply forgotten them because she had been too exhausted that night to listen to Brutus' endless talking.

Tears starts to well in Katniss's eyes. Through her tears the flame on her bedside lamp seems to fragment into tiny pieces. Now it is official… she is petrified. And she feels so alone with no one to help her. Since she had become the Coya Camaquen, Cinna had not visited her once. Perhaps he was scared of her because of her new position. Here in the dark of the night she feels completely alone in this world - no scratch that…she feels completely alone in all three worlds that Haymitch had told her about.

Then in the midst of her misery she catches a glimpse of something yellow in the darkest corner of the room, which makes her jump with fright. A bright yellow gaze of a puma is fixed upon her. She bits her lips to stop herself from screaming. Her fingers grip her blanket with such a power she never thought she possessed within her. Yes, there they are, two golden eyes shining at her from the darkness. She imagines the beast's round ears, its quivering snout and the shine of its fangs.

The air seems to remain in her lungs, she cannot breath, she is unable to speak the words that leap to her mind. _"Don't kill me, mountain puma. Don't kill me, for I have to live a long life and watch over the Emperor's Sacred Double. I beg you, noble puma, don't eat me, let me live and I'll never forget what I owe you…"_

She closes her eyes and waits for the puma's attack, the feel of its claws digging into her arms, legs and abdomen and its teeth in the strong jaw closing around her neck. But nothing happens. The night is completely silent and she dares to open eyes. The puma had vanished as early as it had appeared. The shadow in the corner remains just a shadow.

Katniss remains in her position, still sitting upright and trembling. Much, much later she falls asleep with a silent prayer of gratitude on her lips.

* * *

At dawn the next day a cacophony of terrible wailing resonates throughout the palace. Katniss creeps close to the entrance to the courtyard, expecting to witness another catastrophe. But what she sees bewilders her. All the Emperor's wives and servant girls are walking in a vast circle between the buildings in the courtyard. They are following one another around with their crying faces turned down to the dusty ground.

Suddenly, as if possessed, they all throw their arms to the sky and cries, "Viracocha! Viracocha! Help us!". Tears are streaming down their faces from eyes wide with fear. The wails continue, "O Inti, save our Emperor, our Sun King! Uphold him, O Lord Inti! May he be patient, for soon we shall join him once more to love and to serve him."

Katniss trembles at the sight of this awful procession. Her arms are cold with goose bumps. She backs away into the shadow of the building from where she came, intent on returning to the sanctuary of her little room. And then she hears a louder din from outside the palace walls. Hundreds of thousands of cries rises into the cloudless sky.

She curls up on her bed, shivering with fear, hugging her legs against her chest. She does not understand what is happening in this very moment. She wished Cinna was here with her, but alas she knows deep in her heart that he will not visit her today.

She waits for hours, consumed be anxiety. No one comes to fetch her. She wonders if she had been forgotten in the heart of the great, terrible wailing all around her. Her fear and pain round so deep that when she begins to speak to the Emperor's Sacred Double located many buildings away from her she does not realize what she is doing. Katniss whispers to him with her eyes closed, reassuring and comforting the gold statue. "I will keep my promise." she tells him, "I will never, ever abandon you, Sacred Double. I'll do whatever you ask of me…"

* * *

At last, just before midday, Effie comes into Katniss' room. She is wearing a beautiful tunic with magnificent embroidery with small gold threads. Effie are followed by two girls from the Temple of the Virgins. One carries a long white tunic and the other carries a headpiece of white cloth topped with a gold crown. Two blood-red feathers rises from green emerald claps on the crown.

The two girls silently and expertly dress Katniss in the white tunic and then fix the headpiece on her rich black plaited hair under Effie's sharp supervision. Effie walks in a circle around Katniss to look upon her from every possible angle. A small "Oh, that won't do" is followed by an immediate reaction from one of the girls and a small pucker in the tunic is flattened. Once the final inspection is finished Effie looks very pleased. "Now straighten your back, dear girl. No one whish the see a hunchbacked Coya Camaquen." Katniss straightens her back to the fullest. "Yes, that is more like it. Oh, my sweet girl you look absolutely divine. A shining pearl brought before the sun! You are ready. Girls, please fetch Haymitch."

The girls from the _akklawasi_ back respectfully out of the room, their eyes downturned. A few moments later Haymitch enters the room. He is dressed more splendidly than ever. He wears an immense red-and-blue cape and a beautiful headpiece of long, colourful feathers. A finely worked gold plate covers his entire torso. In his hand he holds the ceremonial spear he had the day she first laid eyes on the Sacred Double. He looks at Katniss for a moment. She thinks she sees a twinkle in his eyes, an approval that he is happy with what he sees, and Effie beams next to her. "Come with me." he says.

In the courtyard four soldiers carry the Emperor's Sacred Double on a palanquin. The gold statue shines as bright as the sun itself. The servant girls and the wives are still circling around the courtyard wailing their grief, but Haymitch leads Katniss right through them as though they are invisible. He indicates with a movement of his eyes her place in front of the palanquin while he carries his ceremonial spear pointed at they sky.

As the strange procession slowly prepares to leave the palace confines, Katniss again hears the enormous cry from outside. She looks at Haymitch expecting to see the same astonishment in his facial features, but he continues as if he had not heard it. The sun is at its highest point by now as the procession reaches the palace door. The noise from outside is deafening. Two trumpeters holding coiled shell horns proceed them. Haymitch shakes his spear and on his command the palace door opens.

The sight in front of Katniss is unlike any other sight. Before her is an unimaginably huge crowd almost crushed into the great courtyard. Men, women, girls and boys, all of them wailing and throwing their arms to the sky, imploring Inti. The trumpeters form long, vibrating notes from their horns; the wails lessen at the sound and the enormous mass of people turn to look at the small group standing at the palace door.

Thousands of eyes look at the Sage, the Coya Camaquen, and the golden statue on its palanquin. A moan begins and spreads through the crowd like a wave. Haymitch leads the procession forward and the crowd divides. On both sides faces lower respectfully as they advance. Terrified, Katniss urge herself forward and concentrate on her every step. She remembers Effie's words. She is a pearl, beautiful, tall and straight in her long white tunic, her clear silver eyes fixed straight ahead. Again the horns sound. Now, the ten thousand people and more stand absolutely silent. Not one person looks directly at the white-clad virgin. The crowd parts to let them pass by moving further back and from afar the effect is of wind rippling through a field.

On the other side of the great place the doors of Viracocha's Temple stand open, guarded by a double rank of soldiers. When the procession reaches the temple the trumpets sound again. Haymitch goes through the doors first and they enter a perfectly round room where the walls are covered from floor to ceiling with delicate, light seashells. Smoke from burning coca leaves dance in the air and obscure the light.

The palanquin bearers lower the Sacred Double in the centre of the room while Haymitch waits to the left. Instinctively, Katniss stands to the right of the statue. The Sage waits for the soldiers to leave the room and when their footsteps can be heard no more he raises his arms and exclaims in a clear voice:

_"Nothing exists in vain, O Viracocha!_

_All begin on the shores of Lake Titicaca,_

_All return to the place of your choosing._

_You are the inventor of the universe, Viracocha,_

_You hold the stick of origin._

_O Viracocha, hear me…_

_O Venerable Lord, Ruler of all three worlds,_

_Accept Brutus' double brother,_

_Accept the Emperor's Coya Camaquen,_

_Her maiden name is Katniss, O Viracocha,_

_If you reveal yourself she will humbly worship you_

_with her eyes turned down modestly._

_Venerable Lord of all three worlds,_

_May she live long by your grace,_

_May she not die before you wish it."_

The last words hang suspended in the silent temple, echoing trough Katniss' heart. Haymitch asks Katniss to repeat the prayer after him. They lift their arms thrice in invocation to the sky above. Then the Sage fetches a jug of sacred alcohol and pours it on the ground around Katniss and the gold statue. Only then do the other priests join them inside. One after another, they recite the prayer before pouring alcohol upon the temple floor.

Much time passed, and as the sun retreated to the western horizon the shadows grew as long as the soldiers' spears. At last the trumpeters blow their shells again. The sombre procession makes its way back out into the courtyard. Katniss is stupefied. The courtyard is completely empty. And as she follows the golden statue back to the palace, she finds that each courtyard they pass through is just as empty as the great courtyard outside the palace. Not a single soul from earlier can be seen and silence hangs in the air. Not one of the thousands of men, women and children who had thronged there earlier are here. They have vanished like soundless ghosts.

"Where are they?" She asks in a strangled voice. "Where did they all go?" Haymitch looks at her intensely, his mouth stained green by coca-leaf juice. With a satisfied smile, he replies, "They have joyfully joined the Emperor to serve him in the Other World!"

* * *

That night Kantniss cannot sleep. She trashes and turns on her sleeping matt. She feels crushed by the great empty silence that occupies the palace. She cries and cries. How many had they been? How many had offered their hearts at the sacred stone alters that surrounded Quito? How many had offered their lives to their Emperor Brutus?

Thousands had died. All his wives, all his concubines and servant girls, all his captured eunuchs, all his slaves, all had given their lives for him. Their blood infects the air and grieves the lonely girl. She recognizes that nauseating odour from the day the Incas had annihilated her lowland village.

In the early hours of the morning she goes into the courtyard in front of her room to escape her sad thoughts. The round moon shines brightly and throws inky shadows across the flagstones. For an instant Katniss feels completely alone in the deserted world. And then, suddenly, she hears ten thousands whispers reverberate softly through the still night, as if all those departed souls have returned briefly to wish her farewell.

* * *

**I decided to make this chapter longer than the previous chapters since the entire "intro" to the Inca world and Katniss' new role would be completed. I would like to thank everyone who chose to follow this story and I hope that this chapter did not disappoint you. I will try to write and upload the next chapters as soon as possible, where Katniss will be a few years older and ready to meet new people and new experiences. Please let me know your thoughts about this story. Until next time my dear readers. **


	6. Chapter 6 - A New Opportunity

**Tumebamba, December 1532**

Almost four seasons had passed since Brutus' desiccated body and its escorts had left the northern capital of Quito to embark on the long journey to Coricancha's Temple in Cuzco. Since the beginning of _Inti Raymi_, the Inca harvest-feast month, they had been in the North's second great city, Tumebamba, where Emperor Brutus had enjoyed the company of his northern wives and concubines in the city's mild climate. Tumebamba was only a provincial capital but its layout and magnificent architecture were so similar to that of Cuzco that northern lords sometimes called it "The Other Cuzco".

At its center was the great square of the Temple of the Sun. Around the temple lay long straight streets bordered by the walls of the _canchas_, often perpendicular to one another and crisscrossed by carefully maintained irrigation canals. The nobles lived in palaces near the great central court. These buildings were surrounded by imposing walls far better built then those of their humble neighbours.

The high walls, constructed of immaculately fitted stones, guarded fine houses set around meticulously tended courtyards with flower beds and vegetable gardens and patches dedicated to sacred plants. Water flowed constantly through magnificent stone fountains fed by hidden conduits.

Dozens of busy servants kept stock of the food stores, tapestries and fabrics, all produced by hard-working artisans and peasants for their noble Inca masters.

Since the arrival of the mummified corpse of the Emperor, the city had temporarily expanded, a forest of tents having appeared to accommodate all the clans for whom there was not enough room in the palace. The city was alive with singing and dancing, with grand ceremonies, with endless carousal and with great communal feasts celebrating the sons of the aristocracy who had reached their 15th summer – for this was the time of the _huarachiku,_ the great initiation, held during summer solstice.

By completing this long series of trying challenges, the male children of nobility would pass to manhood. The bravest would be lionized by their ancestors in the Other World, the mightiest noblemen and warriors of this world, and the Empire. The last challenge, known simply as The Great Race, would produce the next generation of great warriors and venerated priests, while all those who came last would have to content themselves with being loyal servants of nobility to the Empire.

All those who survived the _huarachiku_ would have their ears pierced be a gold needle and would receive their first mark of rank – admittedly only a modest wooden disk, which still might one day become the gold insignia worn by the most powerful Incas.

* * *

Strictly obeying Haymitch's command Katniss had not left the golden Sacred Double's side and she remained dedicated to her duties. But a lot else had changed in the last 3 1/2 years. Now, no one dared make fun of her or mock her silver eyes. Both the lords of the northern clans and those from Cuzco treated her with the utmost respect. But despite this, they could not hide their impatience and worry. Everyone was waiting for Katniss to recall the Emperor's last words or for him to manifest himself through her and thus to confirm or deny Titus' ascendancy.

Perhaps due to her situation the Coya Camaquen had changed distinctly over the last years. Katniss was now more self-assured and she was no longer astonished when servants bowed to her or when she felt unknown eyes looking at her. It took her a long time to adjust to this new kind of life, but in the end she accepted her new role in society and at night she thanked Emperor Brutus in the Other World for having spared her life and appointed her the companion of his Sacred Double. She had grown used to waiting during long ceremonies, both night and day, to enduring patiently the endless arguments between soothsayers, and to her countless other duties. And due to her close work with her mentor and chaperone, who had never left her side, she now considered Haymitch and Effie a part of her small imaginary family consisting of her and Cinna as well.

What was more, she had changed physically as well. While dressing in the morning in finely woven tunics she had noticed that her legs were growing longer and her hips became rounder. Every day she seemed to shed a little more of her girlish figure and her woman's body became more evident as her heart and spirit hardened. She was now 15 summers old and she was well on her way to become a true Inca noblewoman – with a lot of help from Effie. She minded loneliness less now and cried fewer tears.

She had noticed that Cinna was a part of the procession from Quito to Tumebamba, but they had had too few opportunities to talk. Sometimes she recognized him in a crowd and every time she saw her beloved friend her heart warmed.

She endured Glimmer's mood swings patiently. As before the princess was sometimes as affectionate as a sister and sometimes as wounding as a slingshot. The nights Glimmer had spent with Prince Gloss had done little to soften her, but she had nevertheless become a young woman. Princess Glimmer was also as beautiful an Inca woman as had ever been; a very great beauty and a shining jewel belonging to Prince Gloss' wealth.

She had developed an opulent form with supple, firm features and had a round face with a prominent forehead, a small nose and a mouth that curved in a seductive wide bow. Since her arrival in Tumebamba she had been basking in all the attention her beauty attracted. Occasionally Katniss envied Glimmer her beauty and whished she could be more like the care-free princess… but more often she thanked Inti that she was not.

Today is a big, big, big day as Effie had told her yesterday. Today is the final day of the _huarachiku_, The Great Race. For once Katniss will be just another young girl, free of her duties to the mummy. Something she had whished for in many years and today her wish comes true, all thanks to Glimmer.

The princess had urged Prince Gloss to insist before the Council of Elders that Katniss should be one of the virgins who helped the competitors. Each virgin was assigned one boy to assist and encourage during the terrible race and the night that followed where the sons of the aristocracy would celebrate their crossing to manhood; a night of eating and drinking in celebration.

* * *

It all happened one morning a few days previously. Glimmer had been explaining to her the details of the forthcoming ceremonies since Katniss had never experienced a _huarachiku_ before. Glimmer had pointed at the steep slopes and peaks that overlooked the city of Tumebamba. She had a ruthless gleam in her eye.

"The Great Race, of course, will be the hardest of all the challenges. Only the bravest and hardiest will finish it. And of them only those right at the front will be honoured as the greatest of the great. They'll have to suffer the cold and rain; they'll have to conquer the mountain…and their fear. They'll only get a little uncooked maize to eat. They'll be so tired that they'll hardly be able to stand, yet still they have to carry on…" Glimmer explained.

"But they have been fasting this past week!" exclaimed Katniss, "They will never make it!". Glimmer had a smirk on her face and said, "Oh yes, they will. They'll have to conquer the three peaks, ignore their weakness and pain and trust themselves to Inti". "But what if they fail?" Katniss asked in a small voice.

A cruel smile spread across Glimmer's face and replaced her smirk, "Then they'll amount to nothing and bring dishonour upon their clans… unless they still have enough energy to throw themselves into a ravine or at least die of asphyxiation before the finish line. It is usually to be preferred."

Katniss remained subdued as the princess laughed heartless. But in her heart she knew that Glimmer was right. It was the way things worked in the Empire of the Four Cardinal Directions. She had learned that by now. One had to constantly triumph in this world or face unhappiness in the next.

After a while the princess reflected, "This year the boys from the Cuzco clans must not win. If they do, it would only reinforce the clans of Cuzco's appetite for power and they will take it as a sign that the Gods favour the Cuzco clans and thereby mean that Titus should be the next Emperor. I can't help our boys because I'm no longer a virgin. But you, on the other hand…"

"You think I could help them?" Katniss asked astonished. "I could ask for a special dispensation for you." Glimmer said while her eyes twinkled. But Katniss was not feeling as certain as Glimmer apparently did, "No way, that's impossible! What about the Sacred Double? Haymitch would never accept that I leave him, even for just one day!".

"Nothing is impossible, dear sister." insisted Glimmer, "And in any case you wouldn't really be abandoning your position – the statue will oversee you and you him…" Glimmer threw out a sprightly laugh as she developed her plan. "Trust me Katniss, Gloss will accept it. I know how to ask for things that I really want."

And, in point of fact, she got what she wanted.

* * *

Glimmer wakes Katniss in the middle of the night to tell her the news. "Katniss! Katniss! Prince Gloss accepted! Of course that dull Sage, Haymitch, oppressed the idea, but no matter, it is after all prince Gloss who holds the real power in this place. You're going with Cato!".

Katniss is immediately wide awake by this news and asks eagerly, "Who is Cato?". "He's my uncle's son, Gloss' brother. He's the bravest boy in our clan – and the most handsome!" Katniss joyfully wraps herself around Glimmer and nestles her forehead against hers. They are both giggling girlishly when Glimmer abruptly breaks off.

"In return for what I've done for you, I'd like you to promise me something." Blinded by her enthusiasm, Katniss replies without a second thought, "Anything you want!" She could not believe that she could be this lucky to be able to have an entire day of just being Katniss. Not the Coya Camaquen bond to the dull duties by Haymitch's side. Just Katniss.

"Don't let Gale or his brother Thom win the race." Glimmer says in a hush voice. The joy Katniss felt just moments ago disappear like raindrops in the sunlight. Instinctively she retreats and thereby breaking the embrace. "But why? I don't know them any better than Cato." she asks weakly.

"Katniss, don't be such a fool! Sometimes you're a real idiot! Cato is one of us, whereas Gale and Thom belong to Titus' clan. Titus, the Cuzco madman! I even told you yesterday! If Gale or his brother win, the Cuzco people will take it as a sign…". But Katniss interrupts Glimmer's speech of venom." Glimmer! You know very well that Prince Gloss himself refused the imperial borla…". "I know what I know! And I know a lot more than you about certain things" Glimmer insists but Katniss does not give up either. "And anyway, how do you expect me to prevent Gale or Thom winning the race if they're the strongest?".

The princess' eyes burn fiercely. "By asking the Sacred Double! Everyone knows you have special powers – that's why we accepted you among us, Katniss. Don't you forget it!". Katniss' face flushes scarlet as she protests, "No, that's not true! I don't have any powers". Glimmer just waves her off. "Of course you do. Aren't you the Coya Camaquen? All you have to do is tell the Sacred Double not to accept them as winners.".

Katniss looks at Glimmer as if she had grown an extra head during the night, "You are crazy, Glimmer!". "I'm not! If you like, you could also tell him that it displeases Brutus to see them win. The Emperor speaks to you, doesn't he?" Glimmer keeps persisting. Trembling with outrage and shame Katniss draws herself to sit up straight. "Has Prince Gloss asked for this ridiculous lie or is it your own doing?" she asks.

Glimmer's patient is growing short as their argument progresses. "What's it to you?" she snaps, but Katniss too has reached her limits. "Because if it is him I want to hear it from his own mouth!". Glimmer's face is made ugly by bile and she looks as if she is about to slap Katniss right across the face. "You're such an idiot! It's a present I want to surprise him with. And you should want it for him, too. You owe him a lot, if I'm not mistaken." she hisses.

For a prolonged moment they face each other like two warriors in the battleground. It is true that Katniss owes Gloss her life, but she will not go to such length and disgrace herself to secure his so called happiness to be elected Emperor when he himself had resigned from the position… and if she knew Gloss at all, she was sure he would be too noble to accept such a deceit in the sacred race. Finally, Glimmer murmurs, "Katniss, don't make me regret being your friend or remind me that you're not a pure Inca…".

Now, as the first light of dawn reveals the peaks that the boys will have to cross, Katniss shivers, her face sombre. Glimmer's poison had taken effect. What should have been a moment of joy became a dark shadow across the light of day.

* * *

"Don't make a sound. Keep your eyes shut." Katniss wakes with a start, her heart beating furiously at the sound of the deep voice. She feels a large hand on her shoulder, a hard-callused hand. She remembers Gloss' words of caution from the day of the great ceremony 3 1/2 years ago. Could this man who had managed to sneak into her room in the early hours belong to one of the clans from Cuzco? Was his purpose to force her to remember Brutus' words? He could certainly try but he would never know what hit him.

In Quito she had seen the warriors practise their hand-to-hand combat skills and in secret she had trained the movements in her own room to avoid Effie and her lecture of "lady-like-behaviour" that would follow if she was discovered. But now she could mimic the movements and she liked to believe she could perform them just as well as the warriors. If this man was a foe he could expect a punch right in his face in about 30 seconds… and he would never manage to register what had happened before she was out in the courtyard calling for the guards.

So despite the deep-throated order, she opened her eyes. The dwarf's silhouette is as spine chilling as a ghost. A frustrated groan escapes from his lips. "Unbelievable! You never do as you are told. I guess I should have learned that by now. Anyway, you're hard to reach, princess…. O exalted Coya Camaquen…" Cinna teases her. "Cinna, I'm in no mood for laughing, o you first-born son. And I hate being woken up like that!" she says. She sits up and a shadow of anger crosses her silver eyes.

But Cinna ignores her bad mood and sits on the sleeping mat beside her. "You're right not to laugh, princess," he says, nodding his head, "War is coming.". This takes her by surprise and the anger she felt a few moments ago had disappeared. "War? Are you sure? This is no small thing to say Cinna. Is it something you have heard among the whispers of the royal court?" she asks.

Cinna looks her straight in the eyes and says in a low voice, "More than that. I can feel it. I know it. During tomorrow's _huarachiku_, it isn't the young warriors who are competing, but the clans. Gloss and the northern families versus Titus and the Cuzco clans… brother against brother, a blood-feud."

"Then maybe Glimmer for once was right about something last night. She asked me to "use my powers_"_ to prevent the Cuzco boys from winning. She seemed especially worried about Gale." Katniss says. Her heart is saddened by the thought. War. It could destroy the entire Empire. "She's probably acting on behalf of Gloss" Cinna says. Katniss shakes her head. "No, she said she wasn't when I asked her about it. And I believe her. Her body language was pretty clear to read. Besides, Gloss has too much integrity to lower himself like this. And remember, he himself declined the imperial _borla."_

Cinna sighs before he continues, "That is true. Gloss is very noble, but don't forget that he is the strongest of all Incas in the north and others want the title for him. What did you tell our charming princess?". "The truth. That I have no magic powers." she answers.

He tilts his head to the side and gives her a small smile. "Now, who says that? You don't know if that is the truth. Remember Katniss, there are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. But I know the Incas. I've watched them long enough. Noble Incas, worshipers of the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, the God of Thunder. Hah! What a joke! Bloodthirsty like a pack of savage dogs, power-hungry, tyrannical, ferocious…"

"Quiet, don't be blasphemous" Katniss says in shock of what her dearest friend had just said. "I'm not saying that the Gods do not exist. I'm saying that many noble Incas are hiding behind them in order to gain what they really want... power. It's just that I know what this war could mean and I don't want to die." Cinna explains and he falls silent.

She feels his breath not far from her face and his hand on her shoulder is the hand of a friend. There is nothing more to say. She knows he is right. He is always right. All they can do now is to pray to Inti and Quilla to be merciful and stop this fight between the clans before it is too late. So they remain where they are, side by side, while the sunrays begin to fill the room.

Today is indeed going to be a big, big, BIG day, as Effie probably will say to her in a few hours.

* * *

**Wow, this chapter was done sooner than I expected. But I am glad, since I do not know when I will be able to upload again because of Summer plans. I know this chapter is not as long as the previous chapters but I really wanted to post another chapter as a little Summer treat for you, my dear readers. Also, I would like to thank _MaidenAlice_ for sweet your review. I am really, really happy to hear that you like the story so far.**

**I bet some of you thought Katniss would be following Gale in The Great Race and certainly not Cato. Well, SURPRISE. And a war is coming... perhaps. I would love to hear your thoughts of this turn of events and I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. **


	7. Chapter 7 - The Huarachiku

**Tumebamba, December 1532**

A low, grey sky rains drizzle over the town. From where he stands at the base of the cliff Gale can see the palaces and huts of Tumebamba. They wafts in and out of view through the shifting fog and many plumes of smoke rise from the offerings burning for the Gods. In the great central place, before the Temple of the Sun, he can see the motley crowd of notables huddling around his father's - Brutus' - desiccated body, lying serenely beneath its feather canopy. The Emperor's golden Sacred Double gleams on the nearby temple steps. That is where the finish line is for those who manage to finish The Great Race. It seems impossibly far away.

"No, not that far away." Thom stands right beside him and as if he had read his brother's thoughts he continues, "Not too far for you, Gale, if you want it enough…" He laughs easily and pokes Gale playfully in the ribs. "But it's true that your legs are a little short. Oh don't worry, I'll wait for you.". Gales smiles at Thom's playful words. They both know that he runs twice as fast as Thom. Still, they will try to run as much of the race as possible alongside each other.

They had been born under the same moon and their friendship is indestructible. Both are sons of the dead Emperor, born on almost the same day. But this was not the key to their friendship; after all, Brutus had as many sons as there were stars in the sky. In truth, neither had met their shared father – or at least they could not remember if they had. Each of their mothers had been born of the highest clans in Cuzco, and had been among the many wives whom the Emperor had left behind when he moved to Quito, to lie there each night with any number of his wives and concubines to spread his seed like pollen to the wind. But their mothers had raised them together and from the very beginning, from when they had spoken their first words, Gale and Thom had been inseparable.

Firmly gripping Gale's shoulders Thom said confidently. "You're going to win, I know it. And I'm going to win too, because I'm not letting you out of my sight! Now come along, it's time we offered tribute to the Gods."

The priests had lit a fire at the foot of the _huaca Anahuarque_, an ancestor reincarnated in stone who, like the original in Cuzco, was reputed to have run as fast as a mockingjay flew. Clumps of uncombed alpaca wool, coca leaves and maize fruit burned as offerings on the fire. The sacrifice of llama kids was to follow.

But Gale does not pay much attention to the ceremonial offerings. He is starving and his stomach hurts. He can see the same anxiety as his on the hollow faces of the other boys, their eyes feverish and circled with exhaustion. But they all strain to stand tall. None want to show any kind of weakness before the greatest test of them all.

They each watch for their uncles who are moving through the ill-smelling smoke. For before the start of the race comes the whipping ritual. Each boy is to be whipped by his uncle as a reminder of the nature of Inca law. Gale dreads this event more than the race itself, but not because of the pain. The anticipated ignominy makes him swell with rage. Luckily his uncle is feeble and Gale doubts that he will feel much when the leather whip comes down on his arms, legs and back. The same cannot be said for the other initiates.

After the whipping he stands up and smiles an embarrassed smile. _I'm only 15,_ he thinks to himself, _but I am stronger than him…and him. I'm stronger than all of them._ He has to believe his brother's words. He has to be as confident as Thom. Today, he is going to win.

* * *

Trumpets sound the start signal and their notes echo from the valley floor to the peaks around it. Gale releases all his tension. He forgets all his self-doubt and his fatigue, he forgets about the enormity of the task before him, and he ignores the cold rain as he settles easily into his pace. He races down the first slope as nimbly as a puma, powerful, happy, and free. He would have cried out in joy if he had not had to save his breath.

The path's first stretch lies to the North. After the initial descent the competitors have to climb a black peak, moderate enough in appearance but which in reality has an awkward surface of rocks and stones that make each step a gruelling trial. It is only beyond this that the path turns to the West and leads them down a long, gentle slope to the base of the Huanacauri, the A_pu_, the God-mountain that watches them defiantly.

If they reach this summit and survive the descent, a loop will then lead them by the plateau of the Temple of the Sun, and then to the severely testing final climb through a ravine where the virgins are waiting, until they return to the first peak of the race.

Thom stays right on his heels. Together, they easily pass the pack on the first few bends of the path. Once they reach the ghastly rock field, however, they struggle heavily with their weary legs. And on this dismal summit, open and unprotected, the wind lashes the rain across their faces far more stingingly than their uncles' whips had done earlier.

Gale's breath shortens much sooner than he expected it would. His lungs burn and his legs stiffen. He can hear Thom's raucous panting falling further behind. Further still, he can hear the faint sound of the rest of the competitors looming up in the immense valley. His own body aches and resists his efforts.

He pauses to glance back and sees Thom wincing with pain. He signals for him to go on, not to wait for him… Just then, a group suddenly appears from around a bend: Boys from the northern clan. Gale notices Cato, the bravest of them all, throw him a disdainful look as he speeds ahead to take the lead.

Hatred spurs Gale on and he surges onward heedless of the sharp stones that cut through the soles of his sandals. He quickly makes up ground and feels his breath steady. But Cato is racing easily across the rocks, lifting his feet high. Gale ignores the pain from his quivering muscles and burning lungs. He shuts out the feelings of his body completely and relies on his spirit to drive him on.

Soon he has caught up with Cato and together they reach a narrow path barely wide enough for two abreast. They run side by side, straining to overtake each other, both their faces taut with effort. But then Cato falls back and yields.

As Gale overtakes him, Cato, jerking awkwardly in a desperate effort to keep up, looses his balance and rams his elbow into Gale. For a suspended instant, the young prince wavers and looks down at the emptiness in front of him before darting ahead. Almost unwillingly, Gale shouts triumphantly, the sound bouncing off the stones. Cato could not keep up.

Gale did not have to look back to know that the rest, including Thom, were far behind. Despite his confidence, Gale knows that his fragile friend could never keep up with him. Nevertheless, he is sure Thom would not be last and so would not have to wear the ill-famed black shorts given to those luckless persons.

He reaches the stony summit and rushes down the other side. He stretches his stride to the full, intent on increasing his lead. He keeps his eyes fixed intently on the next peak. He feels elated, his feeling of strength over all the living things around him amplifying into an epiphany. He is Man amid the stones, the insects, the souls. _I am the wind, I am the rain, I am the light_.

He has the impression that a benevolent eye is watching over him, watching from the sky and from behind each rock, from everywhere. Although the race seems endless, his breathing steadies and he feels strangely calm. He slows before the first steep rise up Huanacuari. Up high, the trail runs along a ridge with sheer drops on both sides, a giddy tightrope pass.

Gale knows the crippling power of vertigo. He knows that on steep slopes, his heart could stop, that he could become paralyzed, unable to take another step. He had trained himself for this and had practised forcing himself through that moment of absolute terror which could freeze him on the spot. But as he approaches the precipice he does exactly what he should not do. He looks down into the abyss.

In his mind's eye, he sees himself falling to his death on the rocks far below. His legs tremble and as he run along the narrow ridge, the hairs on the back of his neck rise and an icy fear grips him. The void seems to grow deeper with each step he takes and seems to take on a bizarre life of its own, as if smiling to him and pulling him in.

A great boulder blocks the way, leaving only a narrow strip of path past the sheer cliff. Gale plasters himself against the boulder, digging his panicked hands into its pitifully shallow crevices. Only a few paces on the path left the ridge and trails away up a gently grassy slope. But to get there he will have to let go of the boulder and face the void. He will have to accept his fear and confront it. He cannot.

Raindrops mix with tears of rage on his cheeks. Why? Why is this happening to him? He had trained for this moment. He is prepared, but he still cannot confront his fear. Through the fog he hears the sound of the other competitors approaching. He hears the cries of those falling and hurting themselves and of those calling to and encouraging each other.

Suddenly Cato appears and sniggers at him as he flies by, "Gale! Gale, you're going to fall off, and you won't even have the black shorts to hold you up! You're a coward, Cuzco boy, and soon everyone will know!".

Cato is right. Just as earlier when he had been filled with courage, so now he is gripped by fear. He hides behind his shame as he had behind his earlier feeling of invincibility. He could stay stuck where he was until nightfall or until his hands let go. Then they would find his body broken on the necks below. Where are his ancestor, now so silent? Where has his soaring bravado gone? Only panic remains. His heart beats as fast as a hummingbird's wing.

"Gale!" Thom's familiar voice calls out to him. He has immediately realized what is happening to Gale. When he reaches Gale, he says gently, "Here, give me your hand…" Gale obeys blindly. He retreats step by step until he reaches the trail where his brother stands waiting, but his limbs are quivering. "Breathe easy. Trust me. I'll go first, you follow me."

Thom goes ahead and steps around the boulder nimbly. He turns and looks back and says, "Your turn now.". But Gale is paralyzed once again and stammers, "I can't". "Yes you can. If I can do it, you can do it."

_If I can do it, you can do it_. It was the sentence that had held them together since childhood, the bonding catchphrase of soul brothers. Gale inches forward. His brother's voice reassures him. But when he is poised on the edge of the cliff, he feels himself pull back – and he begins to slip…

Thom grabs his wrist. "You are not going anywhere. Stay with me, brother." And with those words Thom pulls him to safety. Gale sees that many runners have passed them and are not far from the peak, but Thom does not give him the opportunity to regret the time they had lost. "Run, Gale, run! You're the fastest, and I'm proud of you!". But Gale remembers Cato's words and looks down in shame. "No, I'm just a coward…"

Thom takes him by the arm in a gently grasp and when Gale lifts his head Thom looks straight into his eyes and says, "Gale, listen to me very carefully. You're brave and strong, and you've a brother who loves you and will do anything he can to help you… so go on, win the race for the two of us! You can still win."

His heart starts beating again and he sweeps the rain from his face. Thom is right. He is still the fastest of them all. All is not lost yet and with a nod in Thom's direction, he takes off. _I am the wind_…he thinks as he lifts his feet, heavy as granite.

* * *

Gale runs towards the summit and one by one he overtakes all those who had passed him earlier during his moment of terror. He wills himself on, ignoring his pain and pushing his shame into a corner of his soul. He runs, gritting his teeth. He thinks of the honour of being first – the mockingjay – and of the pleasure of watching those behind him arrive exhausted.

He would secretly enjoy watching Cato's vexation, he thinks as he overtakes him for the second time in the race, although this time without even bothering to look at him or take notice of Cato's vicious comments.

He runs as if he has limitless breath. He barely notices the path ahead of him or the virgins gathered on the other side of the ravine. Everything dances magically before him: The mountains, the clouds, the bushes; the entire valley dances in time with his breath.

"Watch out!". He hears the cry at the same time as he hears the hiss. He stops dead in his tracks. A long, grey snake with yellow stripes, its body, as thick as a human arm, rears up on the path ahead. "Watch out." repeats the mysterious voice softer this time.

Then he sees her approach behind the snake as it slithers along menacingly, its pink mouth stretched open to reveal its pointed, venomous fangs. "Don't move" the girl says. Gale's breathing becomes quicker as he looks into the girl's eyes. By Inti, is such a colour possible? They are as silver as the shining moon in the darkest night. Is she really a girl of flesh and blood and not a magic being?

Gale watches her bending gently, never taking her strange silver-eyed stare off the serpent. The snake coils its length into a heap, its head and neck swaying as if about to attack. Automatically, he picks op a stone. "Put it down." the girl says, without looking in his direction. "Let me take care of it."

Her commands are calm and self-assured. It does not occur to him to do otherwise. She looks directly into the snake's dilated eye-slits, as if trying to hypnotize it. She squats carefully but the snake recoils even tighter and slips its head in amongst them.

Gale hears someone approaching him when Cato comes down the embankment. Just then the snake uncoils and flashes forward, vanishing into the bushes. The silver-eyed girl stands up and smiles. Her shining face is like a beacon of hope amidst the grey mountains. "The road is clear!" she exclaims lightly. Gale is also aware that Cato had stopped to watch them. Gale hesitates for a moment, but the girl waves him on. And so he takes off and runs all the way to the great square in Tumebamba as if nothing could stop him.

Gale is the first competitor to finish The Great Race and as he collapses into the mud he can hear the cheering of the elders and of his fellow competitors from Cuzco on the cliff top path, looking down on him in the town. He is half unconscious, but as he had floated home to the finish he had felt as if he was suspended in the unknown girl's silver eyes.

* * *

A long gold-laced cord surrounds the great square, hold up on solid gold and silver posts. Light rain falls on a fire at its centre on which coca leaves and maize burn, spreading a sweet heady odour. Gale's mouth is clammy. His tongue and palate retains the bitter, throbbing taste of _chicha_. While he half listens to Haymitch and a group of priests praising the courage of the initiates nearby, he reruns the race in his mind. He remembers his strength, his terrible vertigo, and the giddiness of victory.

A rising eddy of coca-leaf smoke envelops the gold Sacred Double and briefly obscures the one they call Coya Camaquen. But when her beautiful face reappears and they catch each other's gaze, Gale is mesmerized. Sitting beside him, Thom, picks up on their covert exchange. He grins, "You think she's pretty?". "I don't know… she's different from the others. Where's she from?" Gale asks. "The rainforest, apparently."

Now the priests approach the initiates. With feathers dipped in bowls of llama blood, they streak lines across each boy's face. This prepares them for the oath-taking rite. It seems to Gale that the words coming from his mouth, swearing loyalty to the Sun and allegiance to the Inca, are not his own. Only one thing really matters to him in this whole ritual: To hear the words that at last entitle him to be called an _auqui_, a warrior.

As the race winner, he is the first to be presented with the white shorts. Complementing that much-coveted garment is a pair of rush-soled sandals, a red tunic with a white stripe – and a glorious feathered headband hung with orbs of silver and gold.

A crowd look on: Parents, clan members, the nobility of Cuzco and Quito, all watching with open admiration and, occasionally, jealousy. Gale stands tall with pride. The next to be honoured after the winner are the runners-up, including Thom and Cato. While his brother glances at him affectionately, Cato makes clear his anger at the winner's somewhat arch grin. When the losers are receiving the shameful black shorts, Cato is far from lowering his head humbly in pity for the losers. He exudes a defiant arrogance and a barely veiled menace.

The hours go by and singing is followed by dancing. The happy sounds of laughter and congratulations fill the square. Gale goes to pay his respect to the veteran warriors; all of them smile benevolently as they hold him by the shoulders in their grizzled hands. But no matter to whom he is speaking, his thoughts are always returning to the young girl married to the gold statue.

When at last the ritual is over, the virgins brings the boys jugs of _chicha_. They will offer it to the newly promoted young warriors to drink and then remain near them through the last night of the _huarachiku_. Drunk on alcohol, the young men will affront the moon goddess Quilla's purity and shame the spirits of their ancestors. It is traditional.

Gale is stupefied when he sees Katniss carry her jug towards Cato. He points her out to Thom and asks, "She supports that insect?!". Thom shakes his head a little and places a hand on Gale's shoulder. "She would have had no choice, Gale. She belongs to Gloss' clan.". Slightly affected by the alcohol Gale removes Thom's hand from his shoulder in one brief movement.

"Clans! It's always about the clans, Thom. They were never an issue for the great Manco Capac, founder of our dynasty. And let me tell you that I was certainly not thinking about clans when I was running that race!". But Thom just answers in a peaceful voice, "Well, the problem isn't you, brother. It's that others think about them."

The girls assigned to them approach smilingly, their gazes lowered respectfully. The princesses are very young and pretty as dolls as they pour the _chicha_ from their pitchers. But Gale's thoughts do not leave the silver-eyed girl. Instead he drinks his _chicha_ down in great big gulps. It had been brewed fresh that very morning and its soft bite slakes his thirst and revitalizes his tired body.

The virgins immediately replenish the emptied pitchers from enormous jugs with ropes attached that servants could tilt forward to pour. Gale sees that like the others, Katniss too fills her pitcher from the mouth of one such _macca_, its earthenware elaborately painted. The _chicha_ flow in rivers and its slightly nauseating bitterness permeates the air.

They invoke Inti for the final time. Gradually, the boys become increasingly drunk until they are staggering about, exhausted. In a short while their knees will buckle and they will close their eyes. They will be overcome by a desire to find some place to lie down and sleep. However, Gale, feels the few sober ones are watching him from the corners of their eyes. He shuts his eyes to concentrate.

"Gale?" He feels Thom tugging on his sleeve. He opens his eyes to find Katniss standing right in front of him. "It's you!" he exclaims, slurring his words – and instantly regrets all the _chicha_ he had drunk. "I want to thank you, Katniss. You probably saved my life today." She makes a vague gesture of denial.

"No, the snake would only have prevented you from winning by stopping you on the trail. He didn't want to kill you. Besides, snakes slithered between my feet when I was learning to walk so I learned to make friends with them." To emphasize this she shows him the two intertwined golden serpents on her wrist bracelet. He barely notices. Her silver eyes still make him a bit flushed and he is privately admiring her strong, svelte figure.

"Isn't the snake a symbol of wisdom?" he asks, trying to say something clever. "That's what they say.". And then all his intension of continuing his clever questions are thrown out of the window as the _chicha_ works its way into his heart and soul and he asks, "Why do people all look at you Katniss?" She smiles coyly at this question and answers, "Not as much as they look at you today, noble warrior."

At that point Katniss notices Haymitch looking sternly in her direction. The Sage motions haughtily for her to move away from Gale and Thom. She bows to the brothers. "I must leave you now, but I hope you both have a happy night and may Mother Quilla bless you."

Once she is gone Gale turns playfully to Thom, "So what do you think, brother? Do we like her or not?". Thom smiles and says, "Well, you were right about her earlier. She's not like the other princesses, at any rate. But did you see the Sage watching her like a jealous old husband? I don't think he approved of his protégée keeping our company."

* * *

A heartening fire glows in the _cancha's_ courtyard but by the light of its blaze she can see the demented look in Cato's eyes. He had been drinking continuously since nightfall, drowning his humiliation in _chicha_. His hands are trembling so much that he pours as much _chicha_ on his _unku _as he does down his throat. But inebriation does not put him to sleep. He reeks of alcohol. He puffs his chest and outstretches his hand to the moon, as if trying to bury his fingers in it while he mouths inaudible words. And then he crashes back down, his hand searching for the pitcher of beer.

"It's empty" Cato yapps, "Get me some more, silver-eyed girl!". Instead of walking directly to the enormous jugs filled with _chicha_ Katniss tries to talk some sense into him. "You've drunk a lot already. Maybe you should rest now." she says softly. But as she expected, Cato is in no mood to be lectured. "Go get me some _chicha!_ Get me some _chicha_, and don't talk back.".

But as Katniss rises from her seat beside him he reaches out his hand in attempt to grab her thigh. She dodges him, her tunic lifting in the process as she spins away, but Cato manages to grab her tunic and stars pulling her back to him. In order to get away from his grasp she kicks him in the stomach and he lets go, falling sideways and laughing.

"I think you like my brother Gale, don't you?" he says in a voice filled with venom. "Cato…" she begins, but he interrupts her. "I saw the two of you looking at each other! But you're only a girl from the rainforest and he is from a noble Cuzco clan, after all. You'll never get him…" Katniss can feel anger and embarrassment fill her entire body which shows in the deep scowl she sends his way before she snaps at him, "I am above all your father's Sacred Double's wife. Don't forget it!".

But his words had had an effect on her. She remembers how the other virgin girls she had been standing among earlier in the day had reacted when the boys reached the virgins waiting-place during The Great Race. The other girls – from Quito as well as Cuzco - had whispered among each other and giggled fiercely while batting their eyes and tossing their hair in the wind the moment Gale ran around the corner and got into view. But she had to admit that the young 15-year-old girl that still remained deep within her, locked away most of the time, silently had agreed with the other girls. He surely was a sight for sore eyes with his broad shoulders, well-trained torso, dark brown eyes, and the characteristic Inca facial features. Yes, he might be the most handsome Inca prince she had ever seen.

But unlike the other girls, she never allowed herself to think more of it. Just as she had reminded Cato, so did she remind herself that she could never expect to have a normal life that would allow things like love to be a part of it. When she became Coya Camaquen, she had made a promise to herself, that she would never fall in love, since no good could ever come of that. She could never promise herself to a man, even if she did love him like no other, for she was already married to the Sacred Double. She had given a holy vow to serve the gold statue as a loving wife for all eternity – both in this world and the next. But her thoughts are interrupted when Cato regains the gift of speech.

"Oh, I know, I know, the sweet Coya Camaquen! Hah! I bet Haymitch had to make up a name just for you!". Cato stumbles as he rises to his feet, his face twisted with rage as he continues, "Gale is a cheater! Soon everyone will know it." Katniss remembers Glimmer's rant against Gale. Yet Gale had won the race because he had proven – much to Glimmer's fear - that he was the strongest of all the competitors. Although it should have been a night of celebration, Katniss feels its shadows threaten her soul. Cinna had been right; this is no ordinary _huarachiku_. The animosity between the Cuzco and Quito clans hangs thick in the air.

Cato stands there swaying and points a finger at her, "And you helped him cheat, Coya…". "Me?!" Katniss cries. She is mortified by his assumptions. She had not helped Gale cheat during the race. His accusations were ridiculous at any level since she did not even know Gale before the race. Why would she help him cheat? And it certainly did not seem to her that he needed to cheat at all in order to win the race.

"Yes, you! The fault is entirely yours. You let him win!" Cato keeps up his accusations but this time he has gone too far and she will not listen to these words of rubbish any longer so she snaps, "Don't be ridiculous. I just stopped him from stepping on a venomous snake…".

"Inti put that snake there for a reason, and you removed it. Isn't that cheating? You helped that mangy dog win and he's not even Gloss' real brother, as I am. He's from Cuzco! You betrayed us! You know, maybe you and him would make a perfect couple since you are both cheaters." Cato interrupts her; his eyes are almost as red as Gloss' at this point, but his eyes are reddened by rage and alcohol.

Katniss decides to hold her tongue. There is no point in arguing with him since he is too drunk to hear reason. All she can do is to wait for him to flounder in his _chicha_ and pass out. She makes a mental note to thank Glimmer for this _wonderful _experience with the "greatest young warrior" from Quito.

But Cato stays upright, albeit unsteadily. "Come, follow me." he growls. This takes her by surprise. "Where?" she asks him. Where on earth does he want to go now? Since she does not make any movement to indicate that she will follow him, Cato stares at her with a renewed intensity. Instead of answering her he smiles and shakes his head. "You're not so ugly after all. I actually do like the look of you, girl form the rainforest. In fact, I prefer you to the other girls, although you are so mean." he sneers.

Katniss bits her lip as she steps away from him. Everything about him disgusts her entirely at this point. But she does not get far when Cato grabs her brutally by the arm and drags her roughly across the square. When she sees that he is heading towards the _cancha's_ exit, she resists with all her strength. But he will not let go and drags her with him despite her pleas to release her arm. Glimmer had been right about one thing about him. He truly is the strongest of all the young warriors in the northern clan.

* * *

Drunkenness reigns in the streets. No one pay them they slightest attention despite the scene of Cato dragging the almost screaming Coya Camaquen after him. From within each _cancha_ they pass they hear singing and merriment, sometimes the lilt of flutes or the thudding of drums. The many fires fling freakish, flickering shadows on the walls. At each crossroad lie semi-conscious men writhing in their own vomit due to their enormous presumption of _chicha_ earlier in the evening. The bitter smell of the alcohol pervades the air.

Cato stops in his tracks before a thin, finely built wall. He recovers his balance while still holding her in a firm grip and yells in a hoarse voice. "Gale! Thom!". He thrusts Katniss ahead of him through the brother's _cancha's_ entrance. "Cato!" Katniss is relieved to recognize Gale's tall and noble figure silhouetted against the fire as he rises to his feet. He does not seem drunk, although his eyes are bloodshot and he is breathing heavily.

"Let go of her" Gale snarls, "Let go of the Coya. You've no right to treat her so." Now Thom also gets up. He walks slowly into the firelight and says calmly, "Go back to your own _cancha_, Cato. You've still got to finish the…". But he does not get to finish his sentence before Cato throws Katniss violently to the ground in front of him. "Brothers!" Cato says scornfully, "Here they are! Here are the brothers you love so much! A pair of cheats, always together the better to hide their cowardice!".

"You're not wearing the black shorts, Cato? And yet they would suit you perfectly since they're as black as your own soul." Thom says. Gale's grits his teeth in anger. He throws his cape back over his shoulder and steps forward, fists raised. "No, Gale" Katniss protests, "He doesn't know what he's doing."

But it is too late. With a roar, Cato plunges his right hand into his tunic and pulls out a _tumi_, a sickle-shaped blade that glints in the firelight. He slices it through the air twice before pointing the copper blade at Gale's face. "Now you're _really_ going to run fast, Gale, as fast as I want you to. Let's see how fast you really are when no one is helping you."

Thom sidles next to Katniss. He grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her away from the action. Meanwhile Gale sidesteps, moving as deftly as a desert ocelot. "Well, look at this. He accuses us of cowardice, but he himself wields a _tumi_ against bare hands." Gale growls, his voice strained. But Cato, in his drunken state, keeps roaring about his accusation towards Gale. "Cheat! You're a scum of Cuzco, scoundrels! Everyone cheats in Cuzco. You pretend you're so noble, but you're just a fraud."

There is movement in the darkness that encircles them because of the turmoil the boys have made; a crowd has gathered – servants, uncles, sisters, aunts – but no one say a word. After all, man is not held accountable for what he says in liquor. But Gale is sober and has been publicly insulted. It is for him to reply. "This is it, Cato. We've waited a long time for this moment. Come on then, try and cut my throat with your knife. Come on – do it, if you can!"

The two boys circle around another by the light of the fire. Cato seems to have sobered up slightly. But when he lunges across the burning embers, Gale dodges him easily. Both Gale's hands shoot forth simultaneously and in a flash he has Cato's empty hand jammed against his shoulder while he grabs the other that held the _tumi_. Seeing red, Cato steps back a little and spin on his heel. Gale's right hand, holding Cato's, sweeps around and brings the knife across Cato's face.

A great crimson gash appears on his cheek and he retreats with a cry of pain. Blood flows freely from his wound and as he runs his fingers over his face and looks at his red hand he is stunned by what had just happened. "Go home, Cato, while there's still time." Thom says to him. Cato does not acknowledge Thom with one look but instead answers him in a low threating voice while he turns to look at Gale, "No, _dear brother_ from Cuzco. There is no more time. This is it!".

Just then, as if being cut had woken him from a dream, Cato throws his _tumi_ aside and dives at Gale, tackling him to the ground. Then it is a blur. The two boys are rolling around beside the fire like savage dogs which results in a cloud of dust rising from them. Their legs kick into the fire, which makes it a scattering embers and a shower of sparks.

Katniss lets out a cry and Thom has to hold her back from diving in and separating them. "Leave them be, Katniss. It must run its course. You cannot do anything for any of them now." he tells her.

Gale and Cato continue to battle in the dust, wrapped so close that the blood of one would streak the other. Their gasps are punctuated with cries of pain whenever a punch lands or one or the other's fingers will manage to get a hold of an eye or neck. Suddenly, Katniss sees Cato roll to the side, his _unku_ tearing off him with a great cracking sound. Gale immediately stands up and jumps onto him, his knees landing on Cato's back and seizes his arm to twist it into an arm lock.

"Didn't you swear to bear the warrior's courage?" asked Gale into his ear, his voice barely audible, "To embrace honour?". Cato does not reply, but instead tries to wriggle his way out of Gale's iron grip. When he did not receive an answer Gale asks in a louder voice. "Did you or did you not swear an oath to our sun god, Inti, and to Quilla, the moon? To all our ancestors and to the spirit of every Emperor that has ever been?"

Katniss senses that Gale is looing control of his rage. She shrugs off Thom's hand and takes a step closer to the boys on the ground. "Gale, please, let him be…" she pleads. But Gale is not listening. "Are you not the one who insulted the virgin whom our father chose to watch over his Sacred Double?".

His hands release Cato's arm in order to swiftly turn him around so he is sitting on his chest. He closes his fists to let them come raining down on that hated face as if a berserk warrior had possessed him. Neither Katniss' pleas or Cato's own cries stops Gale in his fury.

The crowd of onlookers has gathered closer together but still no one intervenes. Katniss wants to grab hold of Gale's flailing arms but she sees the flames dancing in the young Inca's brown eyes. And in those flames she sees too all the hatred borne by Cato burning.

"That's enough!" The order comes abruptly out if the surrounding night. Katniss turns to look just as Gale lifts his head, his fist suspended in the air. A man in priest's garb enters the ring of light around the fire and points his hand towards the two boys. "That's enough, Gale. Don't kill him." Katniss sees that it is one of Gale's uncles. He looks at her warily for a moment before adding. "The lesson has been given and nobody will forget it: No one insults the Cuzco clans and gets away with it."

Breathing heavily, Gale disengages himself and stands up slowly. Katniss looks at Thom who had stayed silent and motionless throughout the fight. She sees sadness in his eyes as he watches his brother recover his breath. Also breathing hard, but spitting blood too, Cato rolls over and then weakly gets up on his knees. He lifts himself a little and looks entreatingly for Katniss' help.

She keeps her hands at her sides, refusing to show him any kindness for what he had done. With the last of his strength he straightens himself, his hands clutching his stomach and he yells, "You are damned Gale. You'll burn before you reach the Other World. Your soul will never be free.". Gale just continues wiping the blood off his hands as he says, "Only the damned speak of damning."

Katniss hesitates as Cato stumbles out of the _cancha_, but after all, he is from her own clan and she is assigned to help him through the night, no matter how poorly he behaves himself. Her gaze locks to Gale's. "I must go with him" she says after a while, "I'm obliged to look after him tonight, although I know he's wrong about you."

Gale glances at Thom and then replies with a strangely gentle voice after so much violence. "I know, silver-eyed sister…". She gives him a gentle squeeze on his arm and says, "Promise me that you will take care of yourself, Gale, and don't be afraid of the snakes." She turns to follow the path Cato had gone, and when her silhouette is fading into the smoke-filled night Gale replies to her as if she is still standing in front of him, "Alas, you won't always be by my side of the road to lure them away from me."

* * *

_Glossary  
__Cancha = A courtyard or the three-four buildings that surrounds it.  
__Chicha = An alcoholic drink that is often brewed from maize.  
__Unku = A shirtless tunic that reaches the knees and is worn by men.  
__Tumi = A ceremonial knife with a copper blade._

**I did not expect to get this chapter done before my Summer plans. But here it is... and the beginning of the chapter is written in Gale's POV in order to take us with him on his journey through The Great Race so it will be easier to understand the ****characters. I know the _huarachiku_ is not the Hunger Games, but Cato got to fight for glory in the race instead... and lost. **

**I try to keep the characters as true to the Hunger Games-books as possible, so naturally Gale will have some feelings for Katniss, but I promise you that this story will be entirely Everlark in the end.**

**Thank you very much for your lovely reviews. I listen to them a lot and I can say that I am truly happy to hear that you like the story. **

**As for the mystery concerning Peeta' whereabouts, or why no one has heard from him during the story, I will try to explain that. ****I am currently working on his introduction-chapter, but a lot has to be changed from the original story in order to make the story fit and I have great plans for his character. But apparently, it takes longer time than I thought it would take to write his introduction. On top of that, I do believe it is important to understand Katniss' world and the Inca characters completely before introducing the Spaniards. This is the reason why I keep Peeta in the background for now, but I can tell you that Peeta's magical number is 9.**

**Have a great Summer and I will see you in August. **


	8. Chapter 8 - Trust the Puma

**Tumebamba, December 1532**

"Wake up, Katniss!"

Her eyelids are heavy. She would have liked to remain asleep on her mat and so she wraps her _manta_ tighter around herself. She recognises the voice, but it cannot be. After all, only women have access to her room.

"Katniss!" the voice sounds once more, this time filled with anger and frustration. She opens one eye slowly to look at the intruder of her sleep. But one look at the man in front of her makes her sit straight up in a second. Haymitch is standing right in front of her, looking at her sternly.

A slightly grumpy Haymitch is not foreign to her, but over the time they had formed a more understanding relationship between them. She would go as far to call it friendship or even a sense of familiarity. The sight in front of her is a reminder that she has forgotten how furious Haymitch can look. And this is certainly not the morning for witty remarks.

He must have come in silently. As usual, his straw-soled sandals have slid noiselessly across the flagstones. And again, as usual, his tall figure and green-tinged mouth seemed menacing. "Get up, quickly!"

"What's happening? Are we under attack?" Katniss asks bewildered, feeling wide-awake by his tone.

"No, but we might as well be. Don't talk, just get up and follow me." He says in a low voice and leaves the room swiftly.

His exit must have been the cue for the servant girls to make their way to her bedside with the clothes that had been selected for her to wear this day. Well, at least he had the decency to leave her room while she dressed. But judging by his frustrated look she would not be surprised if he had decided to stay and maybe even dressed her himself in order to drag her out of her room as quickly as possible.

It had been but two days since the boys' initiation rites had finished. Two nights had passed since Gale and Cato had fought and insulted one another. Only two days of peace for Katniss and it was almost too good to be true. What on earth is happening this time?

She gets up and looks regretfully at her warm bed. The dawn gives only the faintest light at the edges of the tapestry covering the door to the inner court. What is so important that she needs to get up in this inhumanly early hour? Could she have done something wrong? Most likely she had even though she had been so careful.

Once dressed she walks out the room with haste and nearly crashes into Haymitch who is standing right outside her room. He escorts her to a room dedicated to Quilla, the moon goddess. She looks at him, the question burning in her eyes. Haymitch understands and nods while he answers her unsaid question in a low voice, "We can speak freely here, no one is watching or is standing close to this room. I have made sure of it."

Katniss is still a bit unsure of the reason for his behaviour this morning. "What have I done wrong?" she asks him. He does not look at her but at the beautifully decorated walls.

"I've no idea. I only know that your presence here in Tumebamba may not be such a good thing… which I tried to explain to Gloss before our departure from Quito. But now I'm even more certain. You should never have been allowed to come here."

Oh dear, she thinks she knows what he is referring to for it has been tormenting her ever since it happened. "But I didn't want Gale to fight Cato…"

Haymitch's look is enough to interrupt her apology, "Do you really think I'm concerned with such nonsense?!" His serious tone dispels the last vestiges of sleep and makes Katniss shudder.

In an alcove by the window sits a silver disk consecrated to Quilla. It shimmers delicately in the dark, as if shedding tears. Haymitch's dry fingers clutch the door hanging. His earlier powerful voice is now hollow and echoes like a thunderclap. "The Emperor's desiccated body is not in the temple. It cannot be found."

Katniss feels as if someone had punched her in the stomach. She has trouble breathing and after one minute that feels like an eternity she asks in a tiny voice. "What did you say? Haymitch, surely I must have misheard you."

"You heard me. I said Brutus' mummy has disappeared." He raises his eyes in an expression of powerlessness. His face is creased with deep wrinkles brought on by worry and anger as he continues, "At sunrise I went with the other priests to Inti's temple. The niche was empty. The body was gone from its bed."

This is what it must feel like to be struck by Illapa's lightning. She is mortified and completely speechless. She seems to be unable to produce any words. At last she rediscovers her ability to speak and asks, "But… how is that possible? Who would have dared do such thing?"

Haymitch shakes his head from side to side, the hopelessness clearly seen in his expression, and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Who? And how? That is the real questions. Only one thing is for certain at this point: They will accuse you of the crime, Katniss."

No, that was a mistake on her behalf. _Now _she has been stroked to Illapa's lightning. A mixture of anger, frustration and desperation fills her heart. "Me?! Why me? I would never be able to do such a thing. I'm not even strong enough to lift the mummy and where would I hide it? Haymitch, you know that perfectly well. Please say you believe me!"

"Relax sweetheart, I'm not the one accusing you. I believe you, and as you say, you would never be able to pull of such a stunt and why should you? You owe Emperor Brutus your life." he says with a listless sigh, "But others - especially the ones from Cuzco - will be only too happy to do so, alas. You are the Coya Camaquen; are you not therefore the one charged with protecting the mummy with the Sacred Double's help? Isn't that what Brutus ordered you to do from his deathbed? To look after him in this world after he had gone to the next?"

This is too much for her. For years she had not cried but now tears blur her vision. She feels so wronged that presently she wipes them away with the back of her hand. This is ridiculous! She is no longer a terrified child brought before the Inca of all Incas. Her voice trembles with anger, "And why, exactly, would I have committed such a crime? How will they accuse me?"

Haymitch is clearly frustrated by now. His eyes are almost as red as Gloss', coloured by anger. He throws both hands upwards, raises his voice and the words fall quickly, "Who cares?! You are Gloss' protégée. They will make something up if they have to."

"I just don't understand…" Katniss begins, but as usual she is not allowed to finish her sentence.

"Really? Then you have got to open your eyes and ears and look around you, sweetheart! How can you not have noticed that the Cuzco clans hate us and would do whatever it takes to be rid of us…"

Haymitch breaks his stream of words off suddenly and Katniss hears what has caught his attention. People are shouting in the inner court. But it is not just plain shouting, they are shouting Katniss' name with hate in their voices, vilifying her.

"Well, they certainly didn't waste any time." Haymitch says in a disturbingly calm voice after their discussion a few seconds ago. "Be prepared, Katniss. They are the ones you shall have to convince of your innocence. Let's see if any of Effie's lectures on how to behave in a crowd have rubbed off on you. On the other hand… may Inti help us when we face them."

* * *

"There she is!"

"She's the one who made Emperor Brutus vanish!"

"Sacrilege! The mummy has been defiled! The world is doomed and Inti's wrath will fall upon us all!"

"It's the baleful silver-eyed witch's fault! Inti wants her burned to ashes and Quilla would see her drowned in the river!"

The shouts of blasphemy, threats, and hatred can be heard from every corner in the inner courtyard. Brutus' palace is packed with frantic Incas resulting in the late arrivals having to remain bottlenecked at the door, waving angrily under the twin snakes carved into its lintel. Everyone present is a member of one or the other Cuzco clan; all loyal to Titus. Some have come armed and bawl threats as they brandish their knives and clubs, having previously polished the black stones of the clubs. Others wave spears, or whirl their slingshots, or brandish obsidian axes.

The heads of each clan have gathered in a circle in the courtyard's centre and murmur amongst themselves, looking at one another gravely. And although their words may still be civil, their glances tell another tale – and no one receives more glances than Katniss, who stands buffered between Gloss and Haymitch. They form a still and silent trio.

The shouts continue to pierce through the air. "The omens have been terrible since that girl arrived" yells one old man, "She's a witch!". A richly dressed warrior pronounces, "Everyone knows that you only protect her to taunt us, Gloss!"

The warrior points his colourfully feathered spear at her in emphasis and those beside him mutter their agreement. The man wears the headpiece of a general. His _unku_ is cut from the softest vicuna pelt and is decorated with the motifs of the highest clans. He smiles arrogantly when he continues his accusations.

"We've fathomed your deception, Gloss! You want to prevent Brutus' mummy from reaching the Unique Temple at Cuzco. You don't want to see the Emperor take his place among our ancestors because then Titus, our Emperor-elect, will inherit his father's power to take the throne! That's why you asked this girl to make the mummy disappear!"

And as it has been all morning the man's accusations are followed immediately by another threat to Katniss' wellbeing, "Exactly! Well spoken! Stick her feet in the fire, then she'll tell us where she's hidden him!".

But then a voice sounds louder than all of the shouts in the courtyard and all eyes are on the voice's owner. "Are you out of your mind?! The Coya Camaquen would never do something like that!"

Katniss too singles out Gale's noble profile in the depths of the crowd and looks at him with an astonished look. Just as soon as the words have left his mouth he receives a furious look from his uncles and he is dragged away from the crowd after receiving a powerful hit on the back of his head. Now, only Thom stands beside the place Gale stood. He looks down at the ground, embarrassed; for he too is Titus' kin. He is powerless, should he want to help her just like Gale had tried.

She sees Cato among Gloss' people and the Quito noblemen at the other end of the courtyard. His face is bruised, his left cheek plastered with healing herbs. But his swollen lips are winced in a grim smile at the riot Gale had caused…and at his public punishment and embarrassment that followed.

Abruptly, Gloss' booming voice sounds loudly above the hum of the crowd. "Have you all finished talking nonsense?". His voice reveals nothing of his rage, which is evident only from the quivering of his fingers. Immediately everyone falls silent. He extends his arm straight out like a rod, his palm downturned, and points at the people from Cuzco.

"Do you really believe that the Coya Camaquen, the one my father chose to watch over his Sacred Double, is capable of such an outrageous sacrilege? Do you really think that I would contradict the will of Inti and prevent my father's return to Cuzco?"

The prince turns to his right and points out a man, wearing a headpiece topped with a disk of gold, the mask of a nobleman of the highest rank. "Seneca was there, along with the other clan leaders, when Emperor Brutus ordained the Coya Camaquen before he died. Lord Seneca was entrusted by my father to make sure his last wishes were respected in accordance with our Law before my brother Titus assumed the _borla._ It is he who is to take my father to Cuzco. He is the one who will bring him to the Temple of Coricancha."

"It's true" replied the nobleman. "I was so appointed and I tell you that no one among us wishes the Emperor's return to his beloved city more than prince Gloss. And neither do I believe that the Coya Camaquen is capable of what you accuse her of. The Sun King himself trusted her!"

"Those of you who cry treason the loudest," continues Gloss in a snarl, "...would do well to weigh your words more carefully – for isn't treason the traitor's loudest cry?".

A frozen silence lies across the courtyard. Then a high-pitched voice from the depth of the crowd can be heard, "Are you accusing us? Are you threatening us, Gloss? We are Titus' clansmen! Your father's favourite son! How dare you!"

Katniss is shocked to see prince Gloss' expression. Never before has she seen such anger in a man's eyes. It is clear that he can no longer contain his rage as he yells, "You dare to reply! You who dare to spit on the one ordained by my dead father!"

Amid the boiling tension Katniss steps calmly to the centre of the circle. She raises her voice along with an open hand, "Don't fight because of me!". All eyes turn to her and despite this uncomfortable feeling she continues, "Let me go to the temple where the Sacred Double, my husband, rests. He will tell me where to find the mummy."

Both Gloss and Haymitch look at her, stupefied. "Do you know what you are saying?" whispers the green-lipped Sage nervously. Katniss nods but the truth is that what she had just said had surprised her as much as it had the two men. She has no idea where the words had come from; they had flown confidently from her lips of their own volition. Now her heart tightens.

Meanwhile, a surprised, newly respectful hum arises from the crowd as it parts for her. She discovers that Gale has been allowed to return to his place beside Thom and both of them look at her with shining eyes. Cato, however, has lost his smile at the sight of Gale's return.

But the newfound respect for her is quickly interrupted by a shout from the crowd consisting of the people from Cuzco, "Gloss! If the girl doesn't find the Emperor's body, we'll cut out her intestines!" and the mob murmurs its agreement.

Gloss watches anxiously as Haymitch firmly takes hold of Katniss' thin arm. She senses the pride in his voice, the almost doting pride, when he calls to the crowd, "Threaten her all you like. But know that she has no fear of you!"

* * *

The walk from the palace to the temple is only a shot walk but the heat is oppressive. The air seems heated by the sunrays and the pressure placed on Katniss' frail shoulders. She can feel it weighing on the back of her neck. But it is not only she who feels it. The entire city seems gripped by a black fog. Gangs of men are pushing through its narrow lanes, their demeanour indicating a dangerous blend of anger and fear. Some mutters insults as she passes them by. Women stand at the doorways of the _canchas_ and follow her progress with hate on their faces.

Despite this, Katniss walks tall, her gaze doggedly fixed on the cape streaming back from Gloss' broad shoulders. She feels comforted by the soldiers at her side and Haymitch behind her. At least she does not have to fear a sudden attack during her walk towards the temple.

They enter the temple and make their way into the room with nine alcoves, a room with no roof save the vault of the sky. Katniss detects the brisk murmur of water running through the drains and fountains inside the room. The low sun throws shadows on the walls, playfully suggesting animals - or more seriously – gods. The alcoves are carved in alignment with each other along the expertly built walls and above them is a gold frieze with geometric forms hammered into it.

The Sacred Double resides in the central alcove. Next to him stands an empty pedestal where the mummy should have been. Katniss can scarcely bear to look. She had had a vain hope that it all might just have been a terrible mistake and that the mummy had never been missing. But this was a fool's hope. The empty alcove right in front of her speaks the truth louder than any words: The mummy is gone and only the gods know where it is.

Haymitch walks around the empty pedestal to search for clues of the mummy's whereabouts. When he finds no clues, he begins to stare into the empty alcove as if trying to conjure up the statue out of nothingness. When he accepts that the mummy is not returning to its place no matter how much and how focussed he is starring he says to Gloss. "I'm certain that it's Titus' people who pulled this absurd crime".

With a sigh, Gloss answers him, "Probably. They've lost their minds just like the head of their clan. Never has anyone so insulted our father."

"It shows that Titus and his people are consumed with fear" Haymitch declares. Gloss raises his dark eyebrows in astonishment.

"Fear? How so? What have they to fear? They know perfectly well that I would never contradict my father's wishes. They all know that I won't wear the sacred _Ilautu_ on my head. I don't want to be Emperor and you know that as well as I do, Haymitch, as well as they all do. The omens are against me…"

"Not all of them" Haymitch says eagerly as he takes a step towards Gloss into the sunlight and grasps him gently by the shoulders. "You are trying too hard to convince yourself. And Titus senses it. He's like an animal; he senses more than he thinks, which eventually will be his downfall. But when that is said, he sees some things that you don't. He's scared of the powers gathered around you. He's scared of her…" Haytmich makes a head gesture towards Katniss, "and they live in dread of the day she'll remember what the Emperor told her the night he died. They fear that the Sacred Double will tell her your father's true desire!"

Haymitch's grip around Gloss shoulders tightens as speak as he desperately tries to make Gloss see the sense in his words. For a moment confusion can be seen in Gloss' eyes. He takes a moment to contemplate the Sacred Double's serene, inscrutable face. He wriggles out of Haymitch's grip and moves towards it. He lifts his hand to touch it but then changes his mind and lets his hand drop to his side with a deep sigh. Instead the prince turns to Katniss.

"What do you think, sweet girl? Do you agree with the Sage? Do you too think that I'm blind to my father's will?" he asks her. His voice is filled with uncertainty and doubt and Katniss senses that it is not a common feeling for him.

"I think that you don't know how you really are, my noble Lord" As soon as she had spoken the words, Katniss stifles a cry and coves her mouth with her hands. True horror runs through her. Where did those words come from? It is not for her to address a noble man like Gloss in that way. "I'm sorry! Forgive me! The words just came out of my mouth by themselves. I didn't mean to say that!"

"Listen to her", Haymitch cries eagerly. He grips Gloss' shoulders once more. The spark his eyes held a moment ago during his speech now had turned into a full flame of wonder. "Listen to her, Gloss. It is Emperor Brutus who speaks through her. I can feel it!".

Gloss' bloodshot eyes switch from the Sage back to the girl. Then he walks over to her with slow steps, like a hunter would move toward his prey. He kneels before her and gently takes both of her small hands in his larger ones. "Find the mummy, Katniss" he whispers, "Find it!"

Katniss tears her eyes away from the unheard scene before her, this great, noble prince kneeling in front of her, a scrawny 15-year old girl, for instead to search for eyes of the Sacred Double. When she finds them a ray of sunlight lands with pinpoint precision on its golden face. The sunray slips from the statue's helmet to the disks in its ears. She can feel the gold light bounce off it and penetrates her to the core to fill her with more secrets, more knowledge that she will carry without being able to tell.

* * *

Katniss walks beside Haymitch in the square in front of the temple. Facing them, on the Tumebamba hills, the _canchas_ stand in tidy grids, their high walls enclosing not only the palaces and courtyards of the rich but also more humbling dwellings.

The Sage walks in silence and Katniss knows better than to pester him with questions. Across the valley she can just glimpse the mountain's, Huanacauri, black and blue summit. They are walking on a paved path that leads in a straight line from the temple to the mountaintop.

The day's heat is rising. Katniss can feel the tiny pearls of sweat on her temples and on the back of her neck and as they continue their walk in silent she feels the sweat beads trickle down her spine under her thick ceremonial tunic.

Without slowing the pace, the Sage's hand disappears into his _chuspa_, his ubiquitous pouch that he never parts from. When his hand emerges from the pouch it is clutching a handful of coca leaves and a flask of white powder, lime ground as finely as talc.

"Haymitch, why do you always carry those leaves around? I just don't understand what good it does." She asks him even though she knows she is not to ask anything of him at the moment. But she has witness this behaviour so many times in the past few years and every time the same question has been burning in her throat. Now she cannot hold it back any longer; she has to know.

To her surprise he does not give her a stern look or tell her to keep quiet. Instead he answers her question. "It helps me through difficult times. It makes me see the important things clearly and brings me closer to the gods in order to understand their will and signs."

He stops short in his tracks and looks at her, as if making a decision. Finally, he hands her some coca leaves and then purrs a little lime into her open hand. "Here. Maybe it will help you as well in this time of need. But only this time, Katniss, and no more than this amount! Young women - and especially young noblewomen - are not supposed to chew coca leaves. Effie would tear me to bits if she knew about this." he says.

She nods and rolls the thick green leaves into a tube and place it in her mouth where she starts to chew on it slowly just like she has seen Haymitch do so often. Little by little, the town recedes behind them. Soon the flagstone road turns into an unpaved path, lined by two roughly hewn stonewalls. Surprisingly, Katniss finds that she walks effortlessly and without tiring. She even feels uplifted by a kind of euphoria.

Over on the other side of the hill a gentle slope leads to a plateau. On it stands an enormous, crevassed, dun-coloured boulder, its gnarled and twisted form giving the impression of both erupting from and diving into the ground.

Katniss does not need Haymitch to explain to her what is before her. It is a _huaca_. An Ancestor Stone, one of the multitudes of sacred rocks that hold up the entire Empire along lines known only to the High Priests. The souls of all the ancestors and all the gods gather at these sites to receive the prayers of men and women living in this world.

Haymitch stops before the entrance, a space in a wall of stones so finely worked that in some places it blended indistinguishably into the rock itself. The gap is shaped to evoke the lightning bolt of Illapa, the god of thunder.

Haymitch takes another handful of coca leaves from his bulging _chuspa_. This time, however, he places them carefully in a niche in the wall at the foot of a small gold statue. He draws a flagon of _chicha_ from his travel bag and pours a little onto the shrine and the ground – a small sacrifice to the gods. Then he stands up, tilts his head slightly and raises his palms to the sky, imploring the gods.

Afterwards he turns and hands Katniss the _chicha_ and tells her to drink. She swallows two long gulps that burn all the way down her throat. No wonder the boys got so drunk the night after the Great Race. This is extremely strong. No, _chicha_ is definitely not for her, just like the coca leaves and its bitter-sweet taste.

"Now we wait." exclaims Haymitch and sits down onto a rock in knee height.

Katniss follows his example and sits down on a flat, sun-warmed stone, her legs tucked underneath her. Who knows how long they are going to be waiting? She might as well try to make herself comfortable. The sun caresses her skin and a strange torpor weighs on her which makes her eyelids grow heavy as her breathing slows. Eventually her eyes close altogether and she becomes acutely aware of her body experiencing each limb as a distinct part in itself; arms, legs, body and head. And then suddenly she is whole again, but now so incredibly heavy that she feels herself sliding, falling vertiginously to the centre of the earth, an irresistible force pulling her down. That is when sleep takes over.

* * *

By the time she wakes up the last light of day is being swept away by the dusk. She can see a few fires that has been lit on the hillsides around the plateau. She looks to her left, expecting to find Haymitch in the same position as when she fell asleep, but there is no sign of him, neither the sound of his breathing, the smell of coca leaves, or the sight of his tunic.

"Haymitch?"

Still no sign of him. No answer but the echo of her call. The effect of the coca leaves and _chicha_ had waned. Katniss is drained and exhausted and entirely enveloped by the spreading darkness. Strange, he has to be here somewhere. He would never leave her alone and so she tries to call for him again, this time with all the strength she can conjure.

"HAYMITCH!"

But as before, only the mountains reply by returning her own word to her.

Katniss stands up, her thighs and neck stiff from her sleeping position and her knees creaking. She guides herself with her hands along Illapa's wall. At its end she finds the beginning of a path overgrown with thorn bushes that seems to lead around the _huaca_. Maybe Haymitch had gone this way while she slept with every intention on coming back before she woke up. Surely, the clans from Cuzco had not dared to follow them to this sacred place in order to harm both of them… or at least she hopes that they did not dare. But angry and frustrated people is often driven by foolishness and these Incas did seem quite angry with them earlier.

She then remembers Haymitch's words to her. "…_how can you not have noticed that the Cuzco clans hate us and would do whatever it takes to be rid of us."._ Maybe they could have followed them after all. She quickly looks over her shoulder, half expecting to see men from Cuzco with spears pointing in her direction, but she sees none. She is all alone. But she knows that with everything that happened today, now was probably the worst time of all to be alone.

Slowly she begins to walk towards the thorn bushes in the hope that Haymitch did indeed go this way. She walks carefully, making sure not to slip in her straw sandals. The two snakes on her bracelet flash in the silver moonlight. She stumbles into thick scrub, needled bushes blocking the path more effectively than a stonewall. A wave of panic overcomes her and she is breathing loudly. If she had been with the warriors from her own village in the rainforest to observe them hunt she would have been sent back to the village immediately.

Haymitch could not possibly have come this way, when she, who is much smaller than him, barely can make her way through the path. She turns abruptly to go back the way she had come but the sudden movement only makes her trip over a rock and she plunges forward into the darkness. Instead of encountering the solid rock she had expected she falls head first, arms flailing, through a gap, grazing her thighs on a sharp edge.

After about a minute of laying on the ground in a frozen stance, petrified by the silence and blackness all around her she slowly examines her body in search for any injuries. Nope, no broken bones or pouring blood, only a few scratches from her fall. She looks around to inspect the cave she lies in. Then she looks at the gap she fell through and her heart drops. There is no way she can return that way without help. It is freezing cold in the cave and blacker than the night.

Against her will, Katniss' shoulders trembles. _Pull yourself together, Katniss! _she thinks. She stands up and with tiny searching steps she inches forward since there is no point in waiting to starve to death here in this cave. She feels herself descending a gentle slope. She is going deeper into the earth, ineluctable following the path to its centre. Could this be a path to the Under World?

Her mouth is dry and her chest feels bruised from the great thumps of her heart. As she walks she wants to shout out loud to the gods and Emperor Brutus that she prefers to stay in the world above, that she does not want to go to the Under World, but she knows that it will most likely not help her.

After walking for what feels like hours Katniss finds herself in an immense space. The darkness feels lighter in the soft air. Her outspread arms encounter nothing. She moves forward into the darkness and still there is nothing, whether she turns to the left or the right it is the same. There is no light, no noise, no walls, nothing but the ground beneath her. Yet, she feels more and more certain of one thing. She is not alone.

"H-Haymitch?" she whispers, on the verge of tears for the gods know which time today.

And then she sees it. It makes her stumble backward and she hits the ground with a small thud. There, in front of her, two yellow eyes shine in the darkness. _The puma!_

It would seem as if Haymitch's wish from the first day is to be fulfilled after all. Her heart will be fed to the puma, her flesh to the Under World, the universe cleansed of the impure silver in her eyes and rid of the embarrassment of her dubious birth. How ironic it is when she thinks about how her relationship with the Sage had changed over the last years, when it finally seems like Haymitch cares about her; when she almost had become the daughter he never had. The protection of Emperor Brutus had only prolonged her life with a few years and now she is to join him soon. The yellow eyes shift to the left to examine her.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Brutus' voice resounds in her head in that very moment. Brutus, the one she had been waiting for all this time, the one for whom she had suffered all those insults and hateful words. His voice is clear and strong; it is not the voice of a dying old man who had spoken to her throughout that fateful night and who had promised her that he would be with her again, but the voice of his earlier, triumphant self.

"Katniss! Katniss, my child, you whose eyes are the colour of the sacred moon, how could you have thought that I wouldn't keep my promise? Come, Katniss, come closer. Don't be afraid of me.".

Come closer? There is no one there besides her and the puma. Could Brutus be the puma in front of her? She has to take the chance. She has to trust that the Emperor is indeed speaking to her through the puma. She advances towards the puma's yellow eyes and although she remains convinced that the creature will devour her she feels calm. She is resigned to her fate and if this is to be her last breath then she is relieved to have met the Emperor again before she follows him in death.

"Listen to me, child of the Moon. They tried to take me away from your glorious sight" he says gently, "but they have not succeeded in their quest. They have underestimated the power of Inti. You will remain by my body's side until the appointed hour when I shall take my final seat at Cuzco, beside the Sun God. As we speak, I have returned to my dwelling site beside my Golden Brother."

His words echo off the stone and through her head. She closes her eyes and warmth spreads through her body and soul as Emperor Brutus speaks.

"Katniss, my child, do not lose your faith in me. I promised I would stay by your side forever just as you promised to stay near my Sacred Double. Draw you breath from mine and trust the puma. Have faith in him and he will guide you."

Katniss does not think of her actions. She offers herself, her arms opened wide, to the puma's jaws. She does not hesitate to offer it her flesh and her blood. But when she opens her eyes the yellow eyes have disappeared. She can see nothing but infinite darkness.

* * *

"KATNISS!"

The shout resounds through the dark cave. It makes her head snap towards the sound and she can see several lights from torches in the distance. She knows that voice too well by now.

"HAYMITCH, I'M HERE!".

Katniss stays still where she is in the exact same position she sat in when Brutus spoke to her. The lights come closer and she can hear the sound of at least 15 pair of feet running towards her.

"Katniss! Thank goodness you are all right. No harm has come to you?" Haymitch is by her side, his hands on her face as he examines her from every angle while the massive golden discs in his ears glisten in the light from the torches. Behind him stands 20 Inca warriors with torches and armoured with weapons, everyone of them wearing the signs of the northern clan on their _unkus_. Haymitch must have noticed that she was gone and had called for reinforcement to secure her safety. He sees the look in her eyes, which makes him still his movements.

"He spoke to you, didn't he?" he asks her, his voice filled with wonder. She nods, her eyes ablaze from the reflecting light of the torches and from her newfound confidence. "And do you remember what he said?" he asks her, his voice filled with hope.

She takes his hands in hers and rises to her feet. She smiles down on him. "Come."

* * *

This time she is the one leading. Katniss, Haymitch and the warriors walk rapidly, almost running, towards the town, along its walls, through its lanes, passing the doors of the slumbering _canchas_. They make only one stop on their way to fetch prince Gloss who's eyes shine brighter then the moon after just one look at their faces.

They arrive at the temple and Haymitch orders back the priests, who had tried to stop Katniss from entering the temple, in that firm voice of his. And then they see it. In the room with the nine shrines, they see the great lord Brutus' desiccated body sitting in its place. Mother Quilla illuminates his gold mask and the cape he wears that is made of bat skin and the finest vicuna pelt. There he is, as if he'd never moved. His shining metallic face is turned towards his Sacred Double.

For once Haymitch and Gloss are speechless. Their faces reveal the astonishment they must be feeling by looking at this sight.

"He promised me that he would always stay near me" Katniss whispers into the darkness of the room.

Haymitch looks at her, his eyebrows raised and the corner of his mouth is twisted in a small smile. "We're going to have to look after you, young lady. The great Emperor Brutus visits you at his pleasure. You walk among the souls of the dead, you not only visit the Under World but return from it… your life is too valuable to us all."

Katniss detects a small note of fear in his usually arrogant voice but smiles at the look of pride in his eyes. "So you don't want to feed me to the puma after all?" she asks.

"Oh yes, more than ever, because now I know that the puma protects you." He answers and finally smiles brightly at her.

That night, when Katniss lies in her bed, she remembers the puma's yellow eyes burning in the dark and the abandon with which she had faced it – surrender stronger than her fear, more powerful than death. And she repeats over and over the Emperor's words to her, her master's instructions.

"Draw your breath from mine and trust the puma."

* * *

"And the puma spoke to you?" Gale's eyes shine with excited incredulity. He had listened to her story of what had happened a few days ago to her and the mummy.

"Lower your voice, Gale" Thom speaks in undertones. The _cancha_ is asleep and it would be most unfortunate for the sleeping people to wake up and find them hurled around each other around the fire.

Katniss nods in agreement with Thom and continues to speak in a low voice. "I didn't see who was talking to me, Gale. I can't tell you if it was a man or a puma. But it was your father, Emperor Brutus' voice. I recognized it straight away, although it was stronger and firmer than the one I heard the day he took my hand and…"

Despite his previous attempts to keep the conversation in hushed voices Thom gasps loudly while Gale's right hand shoots forward to grasp hers, his eyes the double size from astonishment. "My father touched you?!"

Their astonishment is understandable to her. Just as she had been beyond surprised, frightened and trembling with fear when the Emperor had asked her to touch him as he laid on his deathbed. The Emperor is by definition the Son of the Sun and therefore as sacred as his father. For a woman to touch him – even to look at him - without being his wife or concubine is punishable by death and only noblemen are allowed to look at him when granted permission, but never touch him.

"He was very old and ill – he asked me to look into his eyes" she tries to explain but once again their surprise does not fade, it only grows.

"And did you look at him?" Gale asks.

Gale is so stupefied and so wide-eyed that Katniss cannot help to smile widely and for the first time in a long while she chuckles just by the sight of him. He might be the winner of the _huarachiku, _honored by all and destined for great achievements but she is the one with the greater experience; her heart, her soul, her young life itself is already heavy with existence.

"Yes, I looked at the Inca of all Incas" she whispers, still amused by their shocked expressions, "and I lived to tell the tale. Or else I died and returned from the death" she mocks them.

Gale smacks both of his hands on his face and runs them down his face in an extravagantly gesture, "Haha, very amusing Katniss. But seriously, where was his desiccated body? Everyone knew it was gone. All the priests confirmed it." he says.

Katniss looks from one boy to the other and answers truthfully, "I don't know. Perhaps it never left the temple. I'm sorry, I really don't know."

They sit in silence for a while in the warm night, the only sounds that can be heard is the cracking sounds from the fire. Then Thom lets himself fall backward and lands on his back with a thud. His face is directed towards the shining stars in the dark night and he stares right into the pitch-black sky. "Sometimes there are some mysteries that are better left alone" he concludes after his silent conversation with the stars.

"And does it really matter now?" Katniss smiles, "The important thing is that your father is back in his rightful seat in the temple and is once again close to his sons and his ancestors. Isn't that order restored? Even Haymitch would agree with me on this one." she winks at the boys and gives Gale a gentle push with an elbow to his side.

Gale nods his head in approval but the two boys remains pensive and silent for a long moment. They seem to be trying to fathom the significance of the recent prodigious events but there is a look on both of their faces that tells her that they both know something that she does not. With a sigh she crosses her arms in front of her chest and asks, "What is it? There is something wrong. Don't try to deny it. It is written all across both of your faces."

Gale looks at Thom and nod. In a gentle voice Thom speaks, "We are leaving tomorrow."

The comment stuns her for a few seconds. That was definitely not what she had expected him to say. She thought it had something to do with the mummy and certainly not the news of their upcoming departure. "So soon? Why?" she asks bewildered.

"After what happened, our clan decided to bring forward our return to Cuzco and join Titus there as quickly as possible." Gale replies but Katniss is not amused with that answer. Titus, the clans, the hate… when will it end? She is sick and tired of it.

"Your brother Titus seems to me to be in a great hurry. Especially in a hurry to be Emperor" she snaps at him.

Thom gives a hint of a smile but Katniss' touch of sarcasm has slipped past Gale, who instead gently strikes the skin of her arm with the back of his fingers. "When he learns of your powers" he says quietly, "…he'll want you on his side. He'll go to war over it…"

"War? Over me? But that's absurd, Gale!". If she was shocked before it is nothing compared with her feelings now. Yes, the Emperor had talked to her and told her all the secrets of the realm when she was a mere child, which she forgot over the night, and then Haymitch and Gloss had given her a fine title but she does not feel that special. She is nothing compared to other Incas. Deep in her heart she is still just a girl from the rainforest.

"No, it isn't. You travel between this world and the other, our father speaks to you from behind the veil, he advices you… you afford Gloss a very great advantage, yes, Gloss possesses immense power by having you near… and Titus won't allow it." Gale explains.

"It's true" adds Thom, sombrely, "if Titus has to, he'll kill you rather than let you continue helping his enemies."

Dread fills every inch of her heart. Haymitch's words of caution sounds in her mind once more that day. He was right, he was _always_ right. Sure, she now had seen with her own eyes the hate that exists between the clans, but she never really grasped the severity of the situation before Thom's words. And Haymitch had known this too. She had been too blind to see the truth even though it had been right in front of her. But now, she vows that she will never make the same mistake again. She has to know how to read the court and play the game of intrigues. She needs to learn this to survive in this world.

"You're right. Haymitch is right… he told me this earlier today. I just didn't believe it. I guess I didn't want to believe it." she admits in the smallest voice possible.

An abrupt sound from the courtyard makes them jump. Their heads snap in the direction of the sound coming from the corner of the courtyard and Thom is immediately on his feet. "Silent! Someone's listening!" he hisses.

All three of them look deep into the black empty night outside but they can see nothing. Gale shrugs his shoulders and throws more wood onto the fire. But Gale's carefree attitude is not something Katniss shares with him after what she had just realized mere moments ago.

"We shouldn't be seen together. In this atmosphere anything is cause for suspicion. That may have been Cato!" she murmurs.

"Forget about that buffoon!" grumbles Gale, his burning eyes reflecting the rising flames, "whatever happens, Thom and I shall always protect you in every way we can."

Katniss opens her mouth to tell Gale that right now there are greater things at work so a little caution would never harm anyone. But she does not get to do so since Thom interrupts her thoughts.

"Katniss, didn't you promise always to be our friend?" he asks affectionately.

She looks at him, at both of them. She cannot believe that they would think she would not wish to be seen with them. Why can they not understand that it is too dangerous in this moment? She is so moved that her voice becomes tiny, practically inaudible.

"I did and I stand by that promise. The two of you have already become some of my most beloved friends in the entire realm. Please don't doubt that. But you know as well as I do that we belong to different clans. If you're seen with me the Cuzco people will accuse you of treason."

By way of reply, Gale takes her hand and presses it to his heart. "Well, we'll tell them that you're our friend all the same, and they should not oppose this since you are the one our father, Emperor Brutus, confided in."

His gaze plunges deep into Katniss' and he hesitates for a moment before adding, "And because you're so special to us and we love you."

Katniss' entire body is tense. Never before has she been so close to a male person. Effie would certainly have a fit and tell her in a voice raised an octave higher than her usually high-pitched voice how inappropriate this gesture is. But Katniss remembers her promise to herself and the Sacred Double and she forces herself not to think about this gesture in a romantic way. Gale, as well as Thom, is her friend for life as she is his and she will love him for it. That is what he probably meant with this gesture and that is the way it will stay.

For the second time that night she does not manage to answer Gale because of Thom. Gesturing wildly, he points to the fire, "Look there!" he exclaims.

The flames have roared up from the hearth in a huge flickering flower. On the adobe walls, covered in ochre lime, strange shadows are leading a lively dance. In an instant Katniss realizes what Thom is drawing their attention to. The shadow has taken form of a bird, a dancing bird. Its fine neck is clearly discernible, as is its beak, its head, and its pointed, curved wings. A mockingjay! Yes, a mockingjay who are flying to the ceiling of the sky, close to Mama Quilla.

"Watch over us, mockingjay" murmurs Katniss, opening her hands to it, "protect us, and may your wings never fail."

* * *

"Lord Gloss..."

Glimmer's _anaco_, woven from the lightest wool, emphasizes the ample curves of her slim body and fine breasts. Her black pupils shine excitedly as she enters Gloss' room and approaches the Inca prince, bowing her head. Gloss motions away the servant who tries to stop her from entering. The _yanacona_ bows and shuffles backwards out of the room into the courtyard where a fountain flows.

The room is more richly appointed than a temple. Gold and silver string-courses, a wall hanging made of blue, purple and bright yellow feathers, an ornate carpet. In narrow, parallel alcoves stand solid gold statuettes, figures of men, women, and llamas; others in clay that are finely painted and depicted warriors in combat poses, clubs in hand. On a wall to the left-hand side hangs a ceremonial robe covered in small, gold squares and beneath this, on a stool, is a _keros_ in the form of a puma's head, its jaws open and filled with _chicha_, its gold fangs glint ferociously in the torchlight as if the painted wooden jug could come alive and attack.

Gloss lies between two young women on an alpaca pelt, propped up on one elbow. A black-and-white-chequered _unku_ loosely covers his strong torso and in his simple pose with only a band wrapped around his noble head he is magnificently handsome. One scarcely notices his reddened eyes.

Glimmer walks to his resting place and stands a few feet away front of him. Although it is forbidden, she cannot help herself from admiring his face for a few moments before bowing her head. She cannot decide whether it is being in the splendid room that excites her like this or simply being gazed upon by the handsome, noble prince Gloss – being the object of his desire.

"What do you want, Glimmer?" he asks languidly.

"I wish to speak with you, my Lord" she answers sweetly, smiling slyly towards the floor.

"At this hour? Interrupting my rest? I'm very tired. My days are as long as they are difficult. You insolent girl, if you trouble me for nothing, I'll have you whipped."

Glimmer's smile is ambiguous, "My only pleasure is to please you, my Great Lord. And I hope to do so before dawn…"

Her husky voice and the exaggerated motion of her hips as she prostrates herself does not go unnoticed. Gloss imagines all that she intends him to imagine. With one hand he lazily caresses the cheek of the girl to his right, while he lets the fingers of his left hand slip from a naked shoulder to rest upon a ripe young breast.

He smiles, "You two return to the matrons and leave me with the concubine."

Immediately the two girls leave the bed. There is some murmuring as servants appear with their clothes but once they have left Gloss settles, facing Glimmer. "Come closer, woman."

Feigning shyness, Glimmer approaches him on her hands and knees. When she is right in front of him she touches her forehead to the mat and kisses the sun ring on his left hand. She has coated herself with _cantata_ perfume and has blanched her cheeks with gardenia cream. Whether deliberately or naturally she is breathing hard, an anticipatory respiration. She has a predatory look about her, which is not dissimilar to that of the ferocious puma's head resting on the stool.

Gloss adroitly unties the sash holding Glimmer's _cumbi_. The ochre fabric slips off so she sits there naked, her head bowed. But the prince stops there. He contends himself with visually admiring her perfect body and her silky skin.

Then she straightens herself and fetches him the _keros_. He holds the jug with his fingers gripping its golden jaws and draws long gulps from it. Afterwards Glimmer glides onto the matting and wraps herself around him. "No doubt you are right, concubine," sighs Gloss after finishing the _chicha_, "this could not wait until dawn."

Glimmer's hands slip under his chequered _unku_ and caress the prince's smooth torso. "My Lord, I am here for your pleasure…but above all, I am here to let you know something very important."

He slowly turns his head downward to look at her while his grip tightens around her. "Something important? What is it exactly that I should know?" he asks slowly.

Glimmer smiles sweetly and continues letting her hands roam his torso. In an almost inaudible voice she whispers, "That she betrays you."

Gloss's gaze freezes, fixed directly at a silver disk dedicated to the Moon. His face is expressionless. Then he points the puma's gold fangs at Glimmer's head. "Who dares betray me according to you?"

"The silver-eyed girl. I discovered her with Gale and Thom, your brother Titus' puppies. I overheard their conversation. She's going to travel with them to Cuzco where she will tell Titus and the Cuzco clans what the Emperor told her on the night of his passing."

For a brief moment Gloss does not react. He only draws back a little to disentangle himself from the concubine's fingers. Then with immense force he throws the _keros_ violently across the room. The wooden jug splits with a loud crack when it hits the opposite wall, the puma's teeth of gold lie scattered on the ground. The puma's fierceness has passed into Gloss' face. "So that is why you have come to see me?" he snarls at her, his voice dangerously calm.

Instinctively Glimmer retreats, covering herself in the process and bowing her head and upper body low to the ground. "I'm devoted to you my Lord! I speak the truth!"

With an exaggerated gentleness Gloss seizes his concubine by the face and draws her up. He traces his fingers along her sensual lips, her soft cheekbones and her long lashes. He presses his thumbs gently on her closed eyelids and murmurs. "Do you want to help me, Glimmer?"

"Anything you desire, my Lord." she whispers affectionately.

"Then let me tell you this. If you ever interfere again with the sacred will of my father, Emperor Brutus, you'll arrive in the Under World far sooner than the time of my wake. Do you understand me?"

Glimmer's eyelids snap open at his words and all the blood drains from her face. She trembles uncontrollably and instinctively tries to escape the prince but it only makes him grasp her more firmly, this time not so gently. "My Lord! I only wanted to serve you" she cries out in forgiveness.

"There is one way you can serve me, woman, and only one."

Glimmer's eyes are wide with terror but she sits completely still until Gloss relaxes his grip on her. His hand slides over his concubine's superb body. As he lifts her vigorously, a sharp edge of his sun ring scratches her dark, hard nipple and a tiny drop of blood appears. But despite this, Glimmer keeps her mouth shut and does not dare to move as Gloass leans forward to lick the wound with his tongue.

The still night fills the _cancha_, barely disturbed by the murmuring fountains. They are no longer speaking, only their moans float from the prince's room. Gloss does only notice the smile Glimmer wears for his pleasure and not the tears on her cheeks. But in contrast to her smile they are not tears of joy, they are the tears of hatred.

* * *

**Glossary:  
**___Anaco_ –_ A woman's dress  
__Cancha – A courtyard with 3-4 buildings  
__Chicha – An alcoholic drink  
__Chuspa - A pouch  
__Cumbi – Fabric of a very high quality woven from the finest llama-wool  
__Keros – An Incan drinking vessel made from wood, ceramic, silver, or gold  
__Manta - A blanket of sorts  
__Unku – A shirtless tunic that reaches the knees and is worn by men  
__Yanacona_ - _ A servant_

**Author's note:**

**I know I said that I would upload in August but this chapter took a long time to complete. BUT as a treat to my wonderful readers this chapter is actually the longest chapter to date. I hope you liked it. Please leave me a note of what you think so I can form the next chapter into your liking. **

**I really wish to explain the part about the coca leaves. I know that today coca leaves are used to produce the drug called cocaine. But what you must understand is that in this time period the coca leaves were a part of the Incan culture. So I'm not deliberately trying to drug Katniss. I have no intention of doing so and I'm actually against the self-use of all kinds of drugs – (and have never tried it, nor wanted to). In my opinion it should only be used in the medical world to treat patients. But I have to stick to the real storyline and that is why I kept the part in.**

**That must be enough explaining for today. Now there is only one thing left to say:**

**I feel a change in the wind and guess what… it is leading towards Spain. **

**See you in Seville!**


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